Max King set to miss start of 2025 season after knee surgery

St Kilda’s pre-season from hell has taken another turn for the worst with Max King set to be ruled out of early rounds of the season. JAY CLARK explains why.

St Kilda spearhead Max King is set to miss the round one clash against Adelaide after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

King went under the knife on Thursday morning to help repair an issue and ongoing pain he had experienced since copping a knock at match simulation earlier this month.

The 24-year-old passed a fitness test on Saturday at Moorabbin, but felt more pain on the training track this week when he tried to ramp up his loads.

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After several meetings with various specialists over the past fortnight, the club decided it was best to send the full forward in for surgery to mend the problem and set him up for a successful 2025 season upon his return.

It is the same knee King had knee a reconstruction on to repair his torn ACL in his draft year.

While the club is hopeful he will remain “touch-and-go” to play against the Crows in the season-opener in three weeks, it appears a long shot.

After he recovers from the surgery, King will need to build his fitness back up after missing the best part of one month of main training and conditioning work.

It is a blow for the Saints as they prepare for a tough start to the season without one of their most important players.

The club will assess his recovery before setting out a clearer time frame for his recovery, football manager David Misson said.

Max King has undergone knee surgery. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

“We explored a number of non-surgical options to eliminate Max’s pain, with varying but ultimately not long-lasting success,” Misson said.

“The procedure went well, so now we’ll give Max some time to recuperate and establish a more definite return to play timeline from there.

“That being said, we don’t believe this will cause major delays to Max’s 2025 campaign and he’ll remain touch-and-go for round 1.”

Star ruckman Rowan Marshall (pelvis) and Jack Sinclair (hamstring) remain on track for a round 1 return but won’t feature against Port Adelaide in Saturday’s AAMI Community Series match at RSEA Park.

The Saints play Adelaide (AO), Geelong (Marvel Stadium), Richmond (Marvel Stadium), and Port Adelaide (AO) over the first month.

The club signed King to a six-year contract extension last year, keeping him at the club until the end of 2032.

He has experienced serious shoulder injuries and last year required surgery on his left posterior cruciate ligament, ending his season early.

Saints’ coach Ross Lyon will turn to Anthony Caminiti to help replace King in at least the season-opener.

Tim Membrey also made the move to Collingwood and kicked four goals in the practice match win over Richmond on Wednesday night.

Originally published as Max King set to miss start of 2025 season after knee surgery