Gold Coast Suns’ Ben King reveals plans for Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers

Gold Coast spearhead Ben King has raved about the young forwards at the Suns, insisting it could force Damien Hardwick into a rethink of the Suns’ 2025 line-up.

Gold Coast spearhead Ben King has warned the Suns could pull the trigger on a three-headed key forward set up with second-year starters Jed Walter and Ethan Read dominating the early pre-season running.

The off-season exits of Jack Lukosius, Sam Day and Levi Casboult left King, 24, as the senior figure among the Suns’ key forwards and hints at Damien Hardwick’s plans to lean heavily on his young brigade to play crucial roles next season.

Last week Walter told this masthead he was leaving no stone unturned in his quest to become a capable lieutenant inside 50 and King believes the Suns are cooking up something special in the forward half.

Gold Coast hopes a Ben King and Jed Walter partnership can flourish inside 50 in 2025. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I’m really excited about what we could do next year,” King said.

“Ethan and Jed have both shown massive improvement over the summer. ‘Ready’ has put on heaps of weight and is looking stronger and sharper. Both of those lads I’m really excited to play more football with them, I think we’ll have a really good forward line with us there.”

Much was made of the Suns’ forward-half profligacy last season, with Hardwick’s side at one point leading the league in inside 50s but struggling to convert the territory dominance on the scoreboard.

Ben Long played a stellar cameo as a medium-forward but the Suns struggled to find a serious goal threat from within its small forward stocks.

Form and injury conspired to cruel Malcolm Rosas’ season after a promising start to the year while pressure specialists Tom Berry and Nick Holman combined for just 16 goals between them.

King is confident the club will find the right forward mix to put its scoring struggles to bed.

“We’re really lucky it’s a competitive list at the moment, especially in that small forward spot,” he said.

“Jake Rogers is heaps fitter this pre-season and then there’s a guy like Leo (Lombard) who has the body of a 25 year old and looks like he can play straight away, too.”

Second-year tall Ethan Read has packed on muscle in the off-season. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Lombard, the No. 9 pick in last month’s AFL draft, looks a plug-and-play prospect with two seasons of VFL already under his belt.

The midfielder would likely get his AFL start inside 50 where he can use his elite agility and power to cause all kinds of headaches for opposition defenders.

And after a lower back injury ruined his pre-season preparations last year, second-year Sun Rogers looks primed to make the sophomore jump and add to his nine senior games from 2024.

“(Rogers) would be one of the best kicks in the team,” King said of the 19 year old who has been likened to Brisbane Lions star Dayne Zorko.

“The more we can get the ball in his hands around the arc, the better it will be for us forwards. I’m very excited to see his development this year.”

As for the man himself, King is relishing his first injury-free pre-season since 2021.

Jake Rogers could be a dangerous weapon forward of centre next season. Picture: Mark Stewart

After booting a career-best 55 goals in 2024, the 202cm target man says he has another gear to go to next year.

“The last few pre-seasons it’s taken right up until the first practice game to jump in on full drills, so I’ve been quite rushed to get myself ready for round one,” he said.

“I’m hoping this year is a bit different and I can get some consistency in my training and have a really solid summer.

“I feel strong and fit at the moment and quite in tune with my footy. I’m hoping to have a really strong couple of months and make some improvements ahead of the season.”

Originally published as Gold Coast Suns’ Ben King reveals plans for Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers