Recommitted Ben King [re-signed until 2024]

[Lore]

 

[ScrappyDo]

The game has long evolved past tall forwards dominating and winning games on their own. If St Kilda have the $800k+ a year and the multiple first round draft picks that he'll cost and don't spend those resources on improving their midfield, they're having a laugh

If StKilda can secure Ben's services they will. They'll have 10 years with the King bros to get the midfield right.

 

[EconomicDecline]

Don't know why everyone keeps repeating that X club will come to GC with an offer of X. That's not how it works.

 

[Lore]

Don't know why everyone keeps repeating that X club will come to GC with an offer of X. That's not how it works.

Welcome to BigFooty

 

[Mofra]

What are the chances the AFL make Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

23

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

a Queensland 'ambassador' the way they offered Tom Lynch a similar, outside the cap deal?

 

[bird_man]

What are the chances the AFL make Ben King a Queensland 'ambassador' the way they offered Tom Lynch a similar, outside the cap deal?

They already did this last contract.

As far as I'm aware though the ambassador thing has finished up now so they'd have to find another way to do it.

 

[schmuttt]

Essendon will be the Saints biggest competition here, even if I feel the Saints aren't really fixing their issues by throwing 800k+ at another KPF when one is already on a deal around that size. I get if a quality young player is on the market you want your club to target them, but surely they need mids?

 

[Minga]

Essendon will be the Saints biggest competition here, even if I feel the Saints aren't really fixing their issues by throwing 800k+ at another KPF when one is already on a deal around that size. I get if a quality young player is on the market you want your club to target them, but surely they need mids?

We have mids, we just need them to step up. Of course this is no certainty of happening, and say that Ben King was never a possibility you can bet that we would be looking at bringing in high quality mids instead. I agree with you that we wont be fixing that problem by bringing Ben in.

That being said, I get the sense that if it were a possibility to get Ben, then we would in a flash. Personally, I’m an advocate for it due to the very unique opportunity of having both Kings, but at the same time mids really are so important right now.

Guess we’ll see what happens, but from a St Kilda P.O.V. setting up our forward line with two generational, young, key forwards for the next however many years is far from the worst we could do. Gotta break the mould at some point, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to see both King boys on the same team - as a biased saints supporter.

Should make for some good clickbait media articles in the next 12 months tho (not that they haven’t already started).

 

[JayJ20]

I honestly prefer for King to stay at Gold Coast and commit to them during or even before the season.

Sure we could use him and he is incredibly talented, but it'd be very demoralising for the young Gold Coast players if yet another marquee player leaves.
If he were to leave, then obviously I'd prefer us to get him since we can afford him both salary cap wise and draft capital, but I hope it doesn't get to that.

 

[Tbonefreo]

Either way he is going to end up a very wealthy man

 

[SnusCG]

What are the chances the AFL make Ben King a Queensland 'ambassador' the way they offered Tom Lynch a similar, outside the cap deal?

This is always a funny one, by the AFL's own admission, there are 'ambassador' payments made within the AFL at every club, and at least in 2018, 3 of the 4 highest earning 'ambassadors' were with Melbourne clubs, with Scott Pendlebury being the highest paid ambassador player that year.

And it does make sense to offer the best players at each team 'ambassador' payments given that their status within the game and much of the work those players do outside of the club help to encourage football at grass roots level, and particularly in QLD and NSW where the game does actually requires growth.

'QLD ambassador' payments in general would really not even be a massive incentive for players financially given that the majority of sponsorships and appearance fee's outside of football that players get, go to those in Victoria, Adelaide and WA anyway with the AFL being the more dominant code in those states. Their earning potential is generally a lot higher regardless of any ambassadorial roles outside of the northern clubs.

If you believe the AFL's word, Lynch also wasn't actually offered any ambassador payments during his final season with Gold Coast due to his impending free agency and I imagine he doesn't receive any now due to the fact that he's no longer really even in the top 3 players at his current club, as opposed to when he was the best player and captain of the SUNS.

Can't help but laugh though at many opposition supporters refusals to believe X player resigned with any of the northern team for any reason other than 'ambassador payments' when clearly, if they're good enough, they'll get them anywhere.

No Cookies | Herald Sun

No Cookies

www.heraldsun.com.au

"AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said at a Fox Footy launch recently that Scott Pendlebury receives the most funding as an AFL ambassador"

AFL won't offer Lynch paid role during decision

CEO says he would speak to free agent if spearhead contacted him

www.afl.com.au

"However, McLachlan stressed the AFL would not discuss an ambassadorial role in Queensland with Lynch before he had made a decision on his future.

"Let's be really clear on that. He has to make a decision based on the merits of staying at the Gold Coast Football Club," McLachlan said.

"The highest-paid ambassadors – three of the top four, I think – are with Melbourne clubs.

"That will have no bearing on whether Tom Lynch re-signs or not."

 

[Usayed Givashe]

That's basically what Shiel cost. I think GC would be looking at more than unless it was a club like North offering a top 5 pick and future 1st

We’d be better off keeping our picks and throwing $950k x 5 at Moore to partner McKay for the next 5 years.

 

[Atomboy]

I honestly prefer for King to stay at Gold Coast and commit to them during or even before the season.

Sure we could use him and he is incredibly talented, but it'd be very demoralising for the young Gold Coast players if yet another marquee player leaves.
If he were to leave, then obviously I'd prefer us to get him since we can afford him both salary cap wise and draft capital, but I hope it doesn't get to that.

Agreed.

Would be good to see Gold Coast retain him, Saints can always have a crack when he enters Free Agency.

Not convinced he is what the Saints desperately need over the next 2-3 years.

 

[Foxman98]

We have mids, we just need them to step up. Of course this is no certainty of happening, and say that Ben King was never a possibility you can bet that we would be looking at bringing in high quality mids instead. I agree with you that we wont be fixing that problem by bringing Ben in.

That being said, I get the sense that if it were a possibility to get Ben, then we would in a flash. Personally, I’m an advocate for it due to the very unique opportunity of having both Kings, but at the same time mids really are so important right now.

Guess we’ll see what happens, but from a St Kilda P.O.V. setting up our forward line with two generational, young, key forwards for the next however many years is far from the worst we could do. Gotta break the mould at some point, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to see both King boys on the same team - as a biased saints supporter.

Should make for some good clickbait media articles in the next 12 months tho (not that they haven’t already started).

You have the man of Steele and thats it dont kid yourself

 

[bird_man]

You have the man of Steele and thats it dont kid yourself

Not sure how hes kidding himself?

He said in the first paragraph the mids need to step up and it's no certainty of happening...

 

[Foxman98]

Not sure how hes kidding himself?

He said in the first paragraph the mids need to step up and it's no certainty of happening...

Crouch always accumulates never damages, Billings and Hill go missing Gresham is a solid player but nothing special Hannebery is cooked Jones can't kick they are what they are bang average

 

[bird_man]

Crouch always accumulates never damages, Billings and Hill go missing Gresham is a solid player but nothing special Hannebery is cooked Jones can't kick they are what they are bang average

So how was he kidding himself?

He never claimed any of those players were stars. Just said our mids need to step up.

I'd imagine he's mostly speaking about our young mids that are coming through, but no one disagrees they have a long way to go...

Which is why he also said it's not certainty of happening.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Essendon will be the Saints biggest competition here, even if I feel the Saints aren't really fixing their issues by throwing 800k+ at another KPF when one is already on a deal around that size. I get if a quality young player is on the market you want your club to target them, but surely they need mids?

If his name was Ben Kong I doubt we’d be even entertaining the idea of making a big play for him.

Getting a 2nd King would be pure luxury.

That said, what someone said above is also true. If we have both Kings we’ve then hopefully got 10 years to get the midfield to the necessary standard, and having two Kings to kick to would make attracting some elite midfield talent much, much easier.

Get an elite mid to partner Steele and all-things-being-equal we’d be in serious business- if we had them and the two Kings- as we have plenty of adequate midfield talent to support Steele x 2.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Funny how Ben will almost inevitably end up being richer than Max irrespective of how they turnout as players

 

[puppy_dog7]

And Victorians wonder why we still call it the VFL...

Saints lost 2 of their best FF’s in the last 50 years to Sydney. It’s only fair we get one back to us

 

[Coona Blues]

Say hi to Linc, Cocky and Fort for me, lol. Not to mention prior players in Walker and Christensen...5 players from the one club in 8 years is quite the effort...unless you're Carlton (GWS)

Oh and P.S. you guys actually have the equal second most 'imports' out of anyone in the league (Carlton is first with a whopping 16 players and Saints are equal second), currently on your list - even more than us who have a reputation for it and cop it all the time. So tbh, I probably wouldn't be going down that path, lol.

Brisbane trade ins (11):

Lyons
Neale
Fort
Cockatoo
McCarthy
Daniher
M. Adams
Robinson
C. Cameron
Ellis-Yolmen
C. Ah-Chee


Geelong (9):

Stanley
Tuohy
J. Cameron
Danger
Dahlhaus
S. Higgins
I. Smith
Rohan
Ceglar

So what, Menegola and Stengle don’t count? For what reason?

 

[Shadow89]

So what, Menegola and Stengle don’t count? For what reason?

...Because we drafted one and the other was a DFA...they're not trade ins or 'imports.'

They basically had to start again, like Constable just did at GC - because no other team wanted them. As the Brisbane poster rightly pointed out, Robinson fell into this category too, so it changed their number to 10.

Some players are out of the game for years - like Menegola or even Paddy McCartin at Sydney. It's a complete reset, and entirely different to the seamless transition of a player from one AFL club to another.

 

[Jirik13]

...Because we drafted one and the other was a DFA...they're not trade ins or 'imports.'

They basically had to start again, like Constable just did at GC - because no other team wanted them. As the Brisbane poster rightly pointed out, Robinson fell into this category too, so it changed their number to 10.

Some players are out of the game for years - like Menegola or even Paddy McCartin at Sydney. It's a complete reset, and entirely different to the seamless transition of a player from one AFL club to another.

Lyons was delisted by Suns after trade period upon his request so should not count either I guess.

 

[Shadow89]

Lyons was delisted by Suns upon his request so should not count I guess.

That's a really strange one - same as Jack Martin. It's still during the same trade period, and there would have been a trade done if a different admin with half a brain between them was in charge.

It's murky when the whole 'PSD' threat comes into it. I still classify it as an almost FA situation, wherein the player doesn't have to go through a whole draft to see if he gets somewhere - but rather gets there for free guaranteed.

Hateley, Martin and Lyons were guaranteed to go to their destinations through the PSD - but someone like Constable or Menegola, had to go through an entire draft where anyone could have picked them up. Guys like Stengle and McCartney also had to have time out of the game/in the seconds, before they returned to it.

That's my take anyway, but it's fairly subjective given all the different factors in play.

 

[Jirik13]

That's a really strange one - same as Jack Martin. It's still during the same trade period, and there would have been a trade done if a different admin with half a brain between them was in charge.

It's murky when the whole 'PSD' threat comes into it. I still classify it as an almost FA situation, wherein the player doesn't have to go through a whole draft to see if he gets somewhere - but rather gets there for free guaranteed.

Hateley, Martin and Lyons were guaranteed to go to their destinations through the PSD - but someone like Constable or Menegola, had to go through an entire draft where anyone could have picked them up. Guys like Stengle and McCartney also had to have time out of the game/in the seconds, before they returned to it.

That's my take anyway, but it's fairly subjective given all the different factors in play.

Lyons is not strange one really. According to Cameron interviews the club told Lyons that they can't guarantee him contract extension after 1 year to run on his contract and position in the best 22 as they wanted to play kids and told Lyons and his management they are happy for him to explore trade options. Lyons management told Suns that there was no interest during trade period only to come back to club after trade period asking Lyons to be delisted which Suns did mostly because of saving salary and not having Lyons in future plans (rightly or wrongly). It turned out (according to Lyons interviews) that Lions did offer him originally 2 years contract (and I assume it was during trade period) and only after Lions adding one more year Lyons approached Suns conveniently after trade period knowing that Suns will probably agree to delist him for nothing.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Funny how Ben will almost inevitably end up being richer than Max irrespective of how they turnout as players

One of the few perks of playing for gc early on in your career

Not a sustainable way for them to keep players though