St Kilda’s Max King Faces Six-Week Layoff
St Kilda’s key forward, Max King, is set to miss the next six weeks due to a significant strain on his left hamstring. Scans conducted on Sunday confirmed the injury, which has added another setback to the 25-year-old’s already challenging season.
A statement from the Saints revealed that King will need approximately six weeks of recovery, including a conditioning block before he can return to play. The news came just hours after the team secured a convincing 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69) victory over Carlton in their latest match.
The win brought St Kilda’s record to 4-4 for the season, but coach Ross Lyon remained cautious following the injury announcement. King, who had not played at AFL level in nearly two years, showed promise in his second VFL game back from a calf issue, kicking two early goals.
“I was watching it, he was looking good,” Lyon said. “I did speak about it during the week; that was the risk after such a long lay-off. We’re trying to manage that soft tissue, so he’ll be disappointed, but he’s overcome bigger things.”
A Strong Performance Despite Injuries
Despite King’s absence, St Kilda demonstrated their attacking depth in the match against Carlton. The ruck pair of Rowan Marshall and Tom De Koning were instrumental, with Marshall scoring three goals and De Koning adding two. Mitch Owens, Liam Henry, and Cooper Sharman also contributed significantly, each finding the goal.
The Saints have now reached a score of 100 or more in half of their eight games this season, a marked improvement from last year when they achieved the feat only once. Their average points per game have risen to 96, up from 80 in the previous season.
Lyon Reflects on Team’s Progress
Lyon acknowledged the team’s improved scoring ability, stating, “Yeah, it’s nice. We’ve known our scoring capacity for a while. We feel like we’ve got a few different gears in our offence, which is what the good AFL teams do.”
However, he also emphasized that the team still has work to do. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do and hopefully King will get on the end of some of that. That would look nice, but it’s not seven weeks for Max King – it’s the next six years.”
Challenges Ahead
St Kilda currently sits in a ‘wildcard’ position after round eight, but the coming weeks present several challenges. The team will face Gold Coast in Darwin on Saturday, followed by clashes with Richmond, Fremantle, Hawthorn, and Sydney.
“We’ve got a bit in front of us. We’ll find out what we’re made of,” Lyon said, highlighting the importance of consistency and resilience as the season progresses.
With King’s injury adding to the team’s challenges, the focus will be on maintaining momentum and proving their ability to compete against top-tier opposition.
