Veteran defender Dale Morris will extend his AFL career into an 11th season after signing a fresh one-year contract with the Western Bulldogs.

Morris says his optimism about the short-term future of the Bulldogs made for an easy decision to continue playing.

“Not only am I really enjoying my footy at the moment and what I can contribute on match days, but I can see some real growth in our younger defenders and that’s encouraging,” Morris said in a statement on Thursday.

“It was an easy decision. I love this club and I’m excited about its future.”

The 31-year-old, who was an All Australian in 2008, has played 188 AFL games for the Dogs.