The 18-year-old was recruited to the club as the 19th selection at the NAB AFLW Draft from the Bendigo Pioneers earlier in 2021 with her contract now being extended for a second year.

NMT AFLW list and performance manager Rhys Harwood said Slender's versatility on the field was her greatest strength.

"One of the appeals with Tara is she has scope to develop in all three zones," he said.

"She'll spend a fair bit of time with our defenders this year. We think that's a good spot for her to adapt to training and AFLW footy, and some of the most impressive footy she's played has been behind the ball.

"The coaches and players have been really impressed with her athleticism and intent at training. We think she can be a really versatile prospect for us for quite a while, so we're keen to lock her in for an extra year.

"With list sizes still limited, there's obviously a requirement for players to be able to fill multiple roles in our system, so Tara's size and athleticism give her scope to do that for us."

The 2022 AFLW season i scheduled to commence early next year the week of January 6-9.

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