ESSENDON has signed defender Mitch Brown to a new one-year deal despite an injury-ravaged season for the 26-year-old.

Brown played four games for the Bombers earlier this season before injuring his ankle against Melbourne in round six. 

He recovered from the long layoff and played in the VFL, but suffered another ankle injury that required surgery, putting the rest of his season in doubt.

But the Bombers have re-signed him until the end of next year, which continues his success story at the club since being one of its original 'top-up' players for the pre-season competition in 2015 when a number of Bombers sat out with provisional bans. 

After that short stint, which followed his delisting at Geelong at the end of 2014, Brown went on to be drafted by the Bombers at the end of 2015. He played 21 games for the club last year as a versatile forward and defender. 

"It's great to know the club has faith in me, and my focus now is to get back to full fitness and have a crack at returning before the end of the season," Brown said in a club statement.

Brown has played more than five AFL games in a season only once in his career since being a first-round draft pick for the Cats in 2008.