Mark Robinson: Goalkicking session between Matthew Lloyd and Max King terminated

Max King was all set to meet with a former coach in the hope it could help fix his wayward kicking. That was until the session was cancelled at the last minute.

Max King has struggled with his goalkicking in 2021. Picture: Getty Images

Confusion surrounds the shutting down of a planned goalkicking session between forward Max King and his former school coach Matthew Lloyd.

The confusion centres on whether the Saints cancelled the session against King’s wishes after he sought assistance from his former Haileybury coach.

A wayward King contacted the Essendon great on the night he kicked 1.5 versus Geelong in Round 9.

The session was planned for the following Wednesday near Brighton, where Lloyd was expecting to film and coach King in a bid to help rectify flaws in his kicking routine.

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Max King has struggled with his kicking for goal in 2021. Picture: Getty Images

But on the Tuesday night after a meeting with Saints coaches Jarryd Roughead and David Rath, King suddenly cancelled the Lloyd catch-up.

“Yes, we were going to catch up on the Wednesday until Max advised me they (the club) thought it was best to keep it internal,’’ Lloyd said Monday.

Saints head of football Simon Lethlean said: “I think Max was in discussions with people here and wanted to try to keep it as simple as possible.

“Not be doing stuff with Rathy and Rough and then doing stuff with Lloydy here and there … just try to keep it to the one source.”

Lethlean said he was not aware of the planned session, but said the club would not intervene in any planned King-Lloyd catch-up.

“No, Max can do what he wants, he’s his own person,’’ Lethlean said.

"Max messaged me within 20 minutes of the game where he kicked 1.5..."@matthewlloyd18 says he was approached by out-of-form Saint Max King to help him with his goal-kicking, but St Kilda said no.#9FootyClassified | Watch @channel9pic.twitter.com/O9gwkHYrd5

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) May 31, 2021

Matthew Lloyd is one of the sport’s greatest kicks for goal.

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But he added “it made sense’’ to keep King’s coaching internal.

“There is certainly consultation with Max about what he think is best,’’ Lethlean said.

“He’s a young kid, I’m not sure he wants to be making decisions on who he does and doesn’t see, knowing Max. He’d rather keep everyone happy.

“But I think the discussions he had here, and I don’t know them, but I know he spoke to Rathy and Rough about that being an option, but they just agreed to let’s do our work here and not have more voices in the conversation, which makes a bit of sense for a young bloke just to focus on the resources he’s got here.’’

Lloyd, who coached King for three seasons at Haileybury, has recently offered media commentary about where he believes King’s routine is failing.

King has kicked 13.21 this season and, from afar, looks to have lost confidence in his routine.