Confirming the news on SEN radio this afternoon, Haylett-Petty joins his coach David Wessels in re-committing to the club beyond the current season.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time in Melbourne since arriving last year,” stated Haylett-Petty.
“This environment has really helped me develop as a player on the field, and as a leader off the field.
“The intensity that we bring to training, the level of competition that exists within the clubhouse – everything we do here is geared towards to making us the best possible version of ourselves.
“I wanted to do what was best for my development as a rugby player, and that was to stay here in Australia and to continue my journey here at the Rebels and Wallabies.”
Capped 31 times by the Wallabies, Haylett-Petty shapes as an important cog within the national team, particularly with the World Cup in Japan looming.
Despite this, Haylett-Petty has his focus squarely focused on the Super Rugby season ahead.
“There’s a special feeling around the Club at the moment. Just missing out on finals in 2018 really re-focused us as a group.
“You can feel it in every team meeting, every field session, every review; there’s a desire there to get better with everything we do.”
Away from rugby, Haylett-Petty acknowledges the allure of being based in the sporting capital of Australia.
“Certainly the fact that Melbourne is a national hub for elite sport is something that makes this environment so special.
“There is a magic to Melbourne. The community gets behind it’s sporting teams and witnessing the growing interest in rugby down here is special,” said Haylett-Petty.
Head Coach Dave Wessels said: “I’ve been lucky enough to know Dane for a long time now. He’s a good man and works very hard to be the best he can be both on and off-field.
“We feel like we’ve got some really good people on the boat now and our goal is to keep this group together for the long term. Dane’s re-commitment is a big step in this process.”
