MELBOURNE AFLW captain Kate Hore and vice-captain Tyla Hanks have both declared their long-term commitment to the Demons by signing new deals with the club.

The duo has put pen to paper on four more years, meaning the Demon faithful can watch the power-house pair until at least the end of the 2027 AFL Women’s season.

AFLW List Manager Todd Patterson said the pair signing on was a key milestone for the club and signified confidence in the program.

“This is a landmark moment in our club’s history, with these two outstanding players and leaders signing the first four-year contracts,” Patterson said.

“It’s a tremendous show of faith in the direction our program is going, the growth they still see and a real signal of intent from them as to the level of competitiveness we forecast for this group moving forward.

“The signing of these two key pillars sets the foundation for us to build upon for the rest of the period."

Hore has had an exceptional 2023 campaign in the red and blue; her first as captain.

The influential forward was named the league’s leading goal scorer with 20 majors across the home-and-away season. Her unflagging work rate also saw her average 17 disposals, four tackles and four marks a game.

Hore earned her third All-Australian selection at last week’s W Awards before being announced as captain of the prestigious side.

She was also selected by her peers as the best captain at the AFLW Players’ Association Awards.

Hanks, at only 23, was named vice-captain prior to the 2023 season and had a gratifying year.

She exceeded her previous best, averaging 21.3 disposals and winning 5.2 clearances per match.

The midfielder won the AFLW Rising Star Award in 2021 and was also the recipient of Melbourne’s Best and Fairest award in 2021.