Max King kicks four goals as St Kilda ramps up pre-season with intraclub match
Jarryd Roughead isn’t long out of a Hawthorn guernsey, but he’s already having a huge impact with St Kilda, the club revealing he was one of the catalysts for Max King’s stunning intraclub performance.
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A tall forward in the No. 12 booting four goals.
No, it’s not 2010 – but Max King has a Round 1 berth with St Kilda on the table after a brilliant performance in the club’s intra-club match.
As former Saints forward and club great Nick Riewoldt — the former holder of the number — watched on from the club’s balcony at Moorabbin, King starred in front of goal in a spirited “scratch match” that featured strong performances from newcomers and those in new positions.
And teammate Jack Billings said having the one they call “Winx” to look to inside 50 was an exciting prospect for the Saints.
“He moved all right today and was able to kick a few goals,” Billings said.
“Obviously there’s a lot of talk about him, being a high draft pick and a key forward, that brings a bit of extra responsibility.
“But he’s still got plenty to work on and as a teammate you just hope he competes for the ball strongly and just plays his role. Everything else is just a bonus.
“For him, he’s just got to focus on his body and try and string some games together.”
Former Saints David Armitage and Steven Milne also watched the two Saints sides go at it alongside Riewoldt, with Armitage — who played 169 games — later declaring on social media that King “should have kicked six”.
Billings, 24, was taken with pick three in the 2013 draft and said he felt he could offer support to King, who was the Saints’ first pick with selection No.4 in the 2018 draft.
“I’ve built a relationship with him already and will continue to work with him,” he said.
“He’s got a great head on his shoulders and is a really smart guy. He’s a team player so he’s got a lot of the things that you want and expect from a teammate already.
Dylan Roberton, Max King and Dan Hannebery all taking part as the Saints hit the training track. @LaurenHeraldSun
— SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) February 12, 2020
📠Prepare for Ryder/Rowan combo | https://t.co/UuRnT3ZZIx pic.twitter.com/iU3MdQKAuh
“I think I can help him (with the expectations) and at the end of the day, just do you best and that’s all you can really worry about.”
Head of football David Rath confirmed the club was hopeful King would play in Round 1, and said four-time premiership Hawk-turned-Saints assistant Jarryd Roughead had been a key asset for King.
“It’s really around the mindset of being a key forward. It will be around some leading patterns. It will be around some body craft,” Rath said.
“It will be around how to work an opponent over and how to work out what your strength is over particular defenders. Those sorts of things you don't know when you start out as an AFL footballer.”
“We’ll be hopeful to get Max up and going (in Round 1),” Rath said.
“He’s an exciting player. He’s going to be a hard match-up for some teams and you really want to invest in those young players. We need to get games into our developing players, so I would think Max would be right in the mix for Round 1.”
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Speedster Bradley Hill watched on after suffering a cork to his thigh, while ruck recruit Paddy Ryder was rested.
Skipper Jarryn Geary also sat out the game as he continues his recovery from a calf issue, but he is expected to feature in at least one pre-season game.
Luke Dunstan was felled in the first half following a knock to his hip and will be assessed.
Dan Hannebery also played a full game in the midfield, while new Saint Zak Jones’ physicality has followed him from Sydney.
Rath lauded the performance of Ben Long off halfback and said he had been given licence to excite by coach Brett Ratten.
“He’s playing with real instinct and freedom, and that’s something that Ratts has given him the trust to do,” Rath said.
“And I think of all the players that we’ve seen, he’s been one who’s really grasped that and has really grown as a player with that halfback role. He’s taking the game on, he’s attacking and you could see a couple of plays today where he opened the opposition up with a couple of simple decisions. He’s been really pleasing.”