Max King to lead tall St Kilda forward line for next decade after being drafted with pick No.4

St Kilda is bucking the trend and will go into 2019 with one of the tallest forward lines in the AFL despite the current trend of smaller forward lines and recruit Max King couldn’t be happier the club he grew up loving called his name out.

St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary presents No.4 pick Max King with his new guernsey. Picture: Michael Klein

St Kilda will look to new prized spearhead Max King to lead its twin tower forward line for the next decade.

Four years after taking full forward Paddy McCartin at pick No.1, the Saints made another huge investment in a tall goalkicker, taking the 204cm Sandringham product at pick No.4.

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It means the Saints will have one of the tallest forward lines in the competition next year despite a league-wide trend to play smaller mobile goalkickers.

But King, who is on track to recover from a knee reconstruction by Round 1 next season, believes he can work into the team he has followed his whole life.

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St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary presents No.4 pick Max King with his new guernsey. Picture: Michael Klein

“They have obviously got a pretty strong forward line so I’ll have to work pretty hard and earn my stripes early to get into that forward line,” King said.

“I’m really keen to work with all of those boys and learn a lot from them.

“I’ve met most of them around the (Saints’) gym, I went to school with Josh Battle so it will be really good to work with those boys.”

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In Round 1 next season St Kilda takes on Gold Coast, which on Thursday night took King’s identical twin brother Ben, at pick No. 6, despite fears the star swingman could return home to Victoria in two to four years.

“It will be a bit different because we have never really been apart,” Max King said.

“So no doubt we will keep in touch and I’ll follow his career closely and I’m sure he’ll be the same.”

The King boys, Ben and Max back in the day. Picture: St Kilda’s Instagram

Max King in his new St Kilda colours and Ben King in his Gold Coast guernsey. Picture: Michael Klein

Max King has completed two sessions a week at St Kilda’s training facility to help bounce back from his devastating knee injury in April.

The gun forward kicked eight goals earlier in the year to solidify his credentials as a potential No.1 candidate.

Unlike other lumbering key forwards, it’s King’s speed and agility that has seen the new Saint compared to superstars Tom Lynch (Richmond) and Joe Daniher (Essendon).

King, who idolised but has never met St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt, said it was a lifelong dream to wear the red, white and black.

“Obviously it’s a great feeling being a St Kilda supporter with my name being read out,” he said.

“I just can’t wait to get to work and get into the club and start putting the hard yards in.”

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Originally published as Max King to lead tall St Kilda forward line for next decade after being drafted with pick No.4