St Kilda’s star forward, Max King, is facing the possibility of missing the start of the upcoming AFL season following knee surgery on Thursday. Initially, King had been cleared of suffering a second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in his right knee after a training incident earlier in the month. Unfortunately, persistent pain led to an exploratory arthroscopy procedure.
St Kilda’s boss, David Misson, indicated that they had explored various non-surgical treatments to alleviate King’s discomfort, but these proved to be of limited and temporary success. He stated that the surgery went well, and they would now allow King some recovery time to better assess his potential return date. Misson reassured fans, however, that he does not anticipate significant delays impacting King’s 2025 campaign, though his participation in Round One remains uncertain.
Last season proved challenging for the 24-year-old, who participated in only 12 matches after suffering a posterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee during Round 17. King’s injury history includes a prior ACL rupture in 2018, which kept him sidelined throughout his draft year. Despite these setbacks, King has showcased his talent by scoring 159 goals over 83 games since being drafted by St Kilda with the fourth overall pick in 2018.
King extended his contract with the Saints for six years last October, ensuring he remains with the club until the end of 2032. When fit, the 202-centimetre forward has demonstrated his importance to the Saints’ attacking strategy.
As St Kilda prepares for their only official practice match against Port Adelaide on Saturday, they will miss not just King but also ruck-forward Rowan Marshall, who is dealing with a pelvis issue, and two-time All-Australian defender Jack Sinclair, recovering from a hamstring injury. Both are on track for Round One. In King’s absence, teammates Cooper Sharman, Mitch Owens, and Anthony Caminiti will be required to step up in his place as the team gears up for their season opener against Adelaide on March 16.