Young AFL guns and twin brothers Max and Ben King ace ATAR scores

They have been touted as future stars of the AFL, but St Kilda’s Max King and his twin brother Ben have brains to match their giant footy ability if their VCE scores are anything to go by.

They have been touted as future stars of the AFL, but St Kilda’s Max King and his twin brother Ben have brains to match their giant footy ability if their VCE scores are anything to go by.

As if both being selected in the top 10 of this year’s AFL draft wasn’t enough, the Melbourne teenagers also blitzed their Year 12 results to prove they are class acts on and off the field.

St Kilda’s prized No. 4 draft pick Max scored a 97.8 Australian Tertiary Admission Rank when results were released on Friday.

His identical twin Ben, drafted by Gold Coast at pick No. 6, earned an ATAR of 96.34.

The high-achieving twins attended Haileybury College in Melbourne.

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Ben and Max King have some fun on Brighton Beach. Picture: David Caird

Tall Saints forward Max studied economics, maths methods, psychology and English this year while chasing his AFL dream, having ticked off accounting and further maths last year.

“It was a lot of work to balance footy and school, but it was really important to me that I give it my all,’’ he said.

But while he was thrilled to realise his childhood ambition of becoming an AFL recruit, King said there was more to life than footy and he had career goals beyond the field.

Max King (left) with Nic Naitanui and his brother Ben King.

“At the minute I’m focusing on footy, but I will look to go to uni over the next few years to help set myself up once footy is done,’’ he said.

Proud mum Marni King said her sons’ “amazing’’ results capped an incredible year for the family.

“I’m beginning to wonder if they’re my children,’’ she laughed.

She said their academic excellence was impressive considering the pressure they were under as AFL prospects at the Sandringham Dragons.

And it was extra meaningful because 204cm Max ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in April.

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“Honestly, I knew their results had been good through the year but they both had so many football commitments and Max missed about a month of school with his ACL,’’ she said. “I’m just thrilled.’’

Ben was whisked away to the Gold Coast two days after being drafted by them and had to find out his school results while at a training camp with the team in New Zealand.

Still soaking up the emotions of seeing the boys kick goals on and off the field, their mum said the whole family was proud that they had set themselves up for academic as well as sporting success.

“It’s been a crazy year,’’ she said. “It doesn’t all seem real.’’

More than 47,000 Victorian teens received their ATARs on Friday, with an average of 65.22 across the state — 66.29 for females and 63.96 for males. A perfect ATAR of 99.95 was achieved by 36.

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