Which is the better King??

[Sanctorum]

Gold Coast will have to pay overs to keep the 25 first round picks they already have on their list. We on the other hand have traded in some mature age recruits from other clubs and long term our salary cap will open up.

Although I agree that it looks unlikely that we will attract Ben to St Kilda in the mid-term, in the long-term he may come to us via trades when he is in his late 20s.
And given that Ben has already trained at Moorabbin as a student and grew up barracking for St Kilda as a kid we are far more likely to see him pulling on a Saints jumper, than we are to seeing Max turning out for the Suns, a club he has no links to apart from his brother being drafted to play there.

I also think it is highly possible that the Suns may struggle to perform even as well as they did last year in 2021 given they played most of their matches in Queensland. They had optimal conditions for improvement last season given they played most of their matches in their home state and the shortened season allowing them to achieve a higher positive percentage on win/loss ratio last year than they would've had had their young team had to play an extra five games on tired legs. Younger teams tend to drop away in the back halves of seasons.

FWIW (and this is purely sophistry on my part) I reckon it's highly unlikely that Gold Coast continue as a club in it's current form should they not at least reach finals in the next five seasons, which is a very real, and some may argue even likely, possible scenario.

Heading into his 4th season as GC Suns coach, the acid will be on Stuart Dew to improve on their 2020 results of 5 wins, 1 draw, 11 losses and 15th on the ladder, in 2021.

Losing future star Matt Rowell after 5 games was a blow but if he stays fit he, combined with a lot of exceptionally talented early draft picks, should emulate what GWS achieved, playing finals in their 5th season.

It is up to Dew to achieve such success (and I really hope he does), but if he fails then I have little doubt that in 2 or 3 years time Ben King may well be traded to the team he had hoped to represent!

[B.M]

I think the GC will climb the ladder and Ben King will be a big part of that.

They have a very talented group.

[shanegrambeau]

I think the GC will climb the ladder and Ben King will be a big part of that.

They have a very talented group.

I can't help feeling that GC are a training team/retirement team, where players and coaches are either on the way up, or on the way out.

[The_Dud]

I think the whole “they grew up supporting (insert club)” so they’re more likely to want to go there is massively overplayed, and just something supporters like to romanticise about.

How many players end up at the club they supported as a kid? 5-10% if that? And I would say that’s a lot more due to luck than design.

So I’d say it’s a non-factor.

[Harves Man]

I live part time on the Gold Coast and my youngest daughter goes to school up here and has a little friend who comes around home called "Frankie". My wife had invited a few people over including Frankies parents and I had met her mum a few times, but was surprised when her dad arrived and he is the GC Suns head coach.

I gave it a couple of hours as he didn't know I am Melbourne based, before I hit him with the how do you keep Ben King at Gold Coast. His response was obviously a standard line as he gets asked the question regularly but he stated Ben was not going anywhere and would be a long term player for the GCS and that the young group were extremely tight.

My take is the coach is very close with Ben and Ben's family. I heard a very similar tale from one of Ben's relatives so I'd be guessing he is going nowhere in the next 3 years minimum.

Yeah, I've always had the impression that the 2 boys playing together in an AFL team is just pure fantasy - just far too costly these days.

[magnifisaint]

You'll find out in 5 years

[Goose is king]

Max. End of discussion

[Saintmike65]

I don’t think they will ever play together

Ben Will want to play out his own career

I think you'll find they will play together but may not be until Ben reaches free agency status.

[B.M]

That is seven years away and that is a RFA

A lot can happen in 7 years

He may want to go to a big club

He may want to stay at the GC if they are successful club

He may want to go to a successful club in the window

He may never play alongside Max, in fact that scenario is likely

[SAINT-LEE]

I've said this repeatedly....forwards without old dogs to show the path take longer to develop and some slip off the path forever.

We need/ed to give Max the forward on field mentor that every damn person except the club sees as necessary.

[B.M]

Who?

Bruce??

[Kilda]

I think the whole “they grew up supporting (insert club)” so they’re more likely to want to go there is massively overplayed, and just something supporters like to romanticise about.

How many players end up at the club they supported as a kid? 5-10% if that? And I would say that’s a lot more due to luck than design.

So I’d say it’s a non-factor.

Not sure about that... how about Jack Higgins and Zak Jones? Think also of all those players who longed to return to Geelong. The lure would be even greater in Ben’s case because he’s got his twin already at the club.

[SAINT-LEE]

Who?

Bruce??

Hell no, not Bruce. I dont know. Since we got him sports commentators including St Nick have said repeatedly he needs another big body old forward.
One - to help carry the load
Two - to mentor
Three - protection

We had cheap options on the market, not messiahs just guys to slot in and help shape.

St Nick talked about it for 15 min last year on the radio about how he would not have developed if it had not been for Hamill, Gehrig, Loewe, Hall.
One point that stood out was that Nick said he learned toughness from these guys that he didnt have before and he felt protected in packs knowing they were there ( unless that lovable fecker Koschitzke was on loose).

He was really concerned Max would get beat down over the next 2-3 years carrying all the load and no support.

I see it exactly like that.
Who do we have? Membrey? Membrey was shitzen in 2020.

[B.M]

Those who want to return to Geelong, are generally from the Bellarine Peninsula. It’s more a lifestyle thing than a footy club thing.

Jones and Higgins came for a multitude of reasons, supporting the club would be a small factor

Opportunity and contract more a factor I reckon

[CQ SAINT]

Who?

Bruce??

Hell no, not Bruce. I dont know. Since we got him sports commentators including St Nick have said repeatedly he needs another big body old forward.
One - to help carry the load
Two - to mentor
Three - protection

We had cheap options on the market, not messiahs just guys to slot in and help shape.

St Nick talked about it for 15 min last year on the radio about how he would not have developed if it had not been for Hamill, Gehrig, Loewe, Hall.
One point that stood out was that Nick said he learned toughness from these guys that he didnt have before and he felt protected in packs knowing they were there ( unless that lovable fecker Koschitzke was on loose).

He was really concerned Max would get beat down over the next 2-3 years carrying all the load and no support.

I see it exactly like that.
Who do we have? Membrey? Membrey was shitzen in 2020.

I watched Riewoldt get knocked around for a half on a wing in a Grand final when he was just a skinny 17 year old kid at Southport. He couldnt get a touch.
He came out after half time and just willed himself into the game in the ruck and kicked a couple of nice goals. They won by 11 points.
You either have it or you don't. Its not something anyone else can do for you. Everyone agreed he was destined for glory.
I think King may be just as determined and he did pretty well last year given the setbacks he has experienced getting to where he is now.

[SAINT-LEE]

Who?

Bruce??

Hell no, not Bruce. I dont know. Since we got him sports commentators including St Nick have said repeatedly he needs another big body old forward.
One - to help carry the load
Two - to mentor
Three - protection

We had cheap options on the market, not messiahs just guys to slot in and help shape.

St Nick talked about it for 15 min last year on the radio about how he would not have developed if it had not been for Hamill, Gehrig, Loewe, Hall.
One point that stood out was that Nick said he learned toughness from these guys that he didnt have before and he felt protected in packs knowing they were there ( unless that lovable fecker Koschitzke was on loose).

He was really concerned Max would get beat down over the next 2-3 years carrying all the load and no support.

I see it exactly like that.
Who do we have? Membrey? Membrey was shitzen in 2020.

I watched Riewoldt get knocked around for a half on a wing in a Grand final when he was just a skinny 17 year old kid at Southport. He couldnt get a touch.
He came out after half time and just willed himself into the game in the ruck and kicked a couple of nice goals. They won by 11 points.
You either have it or you don't. Its not something anyone else can do for you. Everyone agreed he was destined for glory.
I think King may be just as determined and he did pretty well last year given the setbacks he has experienced getting to where he is now.

I don't argue you need the will, tenacity and talent. But when Riewoldt himself says having senior players around not only shaped his career but empowered him to succeed, we need to listen. Especially when he specifically warns the dangers of not having those players around a rising star.