COACH Paul Roos says Jack Viney’s commitment to Melbourne was a strong sign of faith in the club’s direction.

The club announced on Tuesday that Viney had signed a contract extension until at least the end of 2020.

Roos said it was critical to have the tough-nut remain in the red and blue.

“It’s a really important signature to have. We know how important a player he is and how much he’s improved – and his pedigree with his dad (Todd) playing here as well,” he said at AAMI Park on Wednesday.

“For all of those reasons, it’s a really good signature to have and a positive story for the footy club.”

Roos said Viney’s great improvement came after he acknowledged he needed to progress steadily, rather than rush his development.

“That was the real turning point. He made the decision to listen and become a student of the game and we’ve seen his footy go through the roof over the past 18 months, which is great.”

“His end of year review, at the end of my first year [in 2014], the coaches were at him a bit about relaxing, and being happy to climb the ladder, rather than jump from one rung to 10 rungs.

“We just noticed a different kid coming back that next pre-season … he was focused on learning and becoming a better player. That to me was the real turning point, when he made that decision. His footy last year and his footy so far this year has been excellent.”