Remove this Banner Ad

Restricted Free Agent Ben King

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

GoEaglesGoSGIO said:
Hawks need mids not forwards so wont have interest, nor would Bulldogs, St Kilda, Essendon or Carlton who simply dont need FFs. Itd be Collingwood or Demons in reality and he would choose Collingwood
Click to expand...
There were some rumours in Trade Week that King was headed to Carlton. Not quite sure what I wanted to make of that.
To be honest, I think Melbourne might be hungrier, but how well that might go will depend on how they perform in 2026. Collingwood: can they afford a guy like King? They'd love to have him, but he doesn't fit in their pay scheme.
 
GoEaglesGoSGIO said:
Hawks need mids not forwards so wont have interest, nor would Bulldogs, St Kilda, Essendon or Carlton who simply dont need FFs. Itd be Collingwood or Demons in reality and he would choose Collingwood
Click to expand...

Hawthorn absolutely need key forwards. Mabior is decent but hes inconsistent and you cant rely on Lewis staying on the park consistently.
 
Pure_Ownage said:
Not the Victorian team i would pick if i was him.
Click to expand...
I agree - window is closing. Gets a big payday but I don’t see a pies flag for sometime unless they somehow jag 2026. Way to old and offbalanced list. They were all in without a tall forward for a couple of years too many. Dogs are headed that way if they don’t go get a decent tall back as well but at least we have some likely A-grade youngsters coming through. Don’t see that with the Pies.
 
briztoon said:
A couple of The Age reporters have been saying Collingwood since the beginning of last season.
Click to expand...
Collingwood fans like Jake Niall? Please.

Why would he go to a team which is entering the vortex for near on a decade.

Ohh they play Anzac Day? So yeah, that might get him over the line.

@nostrils why aren't we offering $2m?
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

He only leaves if cap space squeezes him out.

Clubs don't let their best key position players walk out right when they've become contenders.
 
Pure_Ownage said:
Hawthorn absolutely need key forwards. Mabior is decent but hes inconsistent and you cant rely on Lewis staying on the park consistently.
Click to expand...
Not our type of forward. Lazy and refuses to work up the ground, he just wants to stay inside 50 doesn’t suit our gameplan at all
 

Remove this Banner Ad

projectv said:
He only leaves if cap space squeezes him out.

Clubs don't let their best key position players walk out right when they've become contenders.
Click to expand...

AFL won't let it happen, there's still some players they will trade out before Ben King gets pressured by any salary caps.
 
Orange Agent said:
Would have to take massive unders to stay. I think the JUH signing spelled out the credit swaps have already been bought.
Click to expand...
Long way to go with JUH. Right now one year on 150K. I am pesimistic.

Apparently, Ben is already on 1M+. What is massive under? Surely Suns can afford 1.3M. Clubs can now afford 5-6 players on 1M+.

Suns let go 10 players and replaced them with draftees plus Petracca and JUH. Just Flanders and Ainsworth probably cover Petracca's salary. The rest of players is conservatively 1M saved.

IMO, the issue is not cap but that too many talls will compete for best 23. I guess, season 2026 will decide who leaves. If Walter starts delivering and JUH makes it Ben could be out. Read is no chance to leave.
 
Last edited:
Chip Scab1 said:
Collingwood fans like Jake Niall? Please.

Why would he go to a team which is entering the vortex for near on a decade.

Ohh they play Anzac Day? So yeah, that might get him over the line.

@nostrils why aren't we offering $2m?
Click to expand...
No, the Carlton fan has been the most vocal about King to Collingwood.
 
Jirik13 said:
Long way to go with JUH. Right now one year on 150K. I am pesimistic.

Apparently, Ben is already on 1M+. What is massive under? Surely Suns can afford 1.3M. Clubs can now afford 5-6 players on 1M+.

Suns let go 10 players and replaced them with draftees plus Petracca and JUH. Just Flanders and Ainsworth probably cover Petracca's salary. The rest of players is conservatively 1M saved.

IMO, the issue is not cap but that too many talls will compete for best 23. I guess, season 2026 will decide who leaves. If Walter starts delivering and JUH makes it Ben could be out. Read is no chance to leave.
Click to expand...

Ins Rioli, Trac, Noble
Rowell and Mac have extended since.
Maybe Witts retires but a lot of draftees start coming off rookie contracts. Ainsworth isn't shopping himself to multiple clubs if he is on market rate wages. The upcoming OOC's is where the squeeze will come from.
 
Orange Agent said:
Ins Rioli, Trac, Noble
Rowell and Mac have extended since.
Maybe Witts retires but a lot of draftees start coming off rookie contracts. Ainsworth isn't shopping himself to multiple clubs if he is on market rate wages. The upcoming OOC's is where the squeeze will come from.
Click to expand...
Suns shed a lot of money every year for the last 3 years. They turned over 31 players in that period.

Ainsworth was told to look somewhere else. He extended just a year ago. Apparently he was shattered. Rogers/Lombard take his position.

Next year, yeah Witts is due for pay cut, there is Weller, Holman, Farrar, Davies, Clohesy, Long. I expect at least one of Walter, Rogers, Humphrey to leave saving some money too and getting picks.

With cap going up significantly, I would believe Suns are under less pressure than 3-5 years back. You would expect players also stay on less with success. Rowell got apparently 2M offer from Saints and stayed rumoured for 1.2M. But what do I know.

I just don't think Dimma can fit King, Walter, Read, JUH at the same time into the best 23.

Ballard back will also create interesting dilemma in defence.
 
Last edited:
Jirik13 said:
Suns shed a lot of money every year for the last 3 years. They turned over 31 players in that period.

Ainsworth was told to look somewhere else. He extended just a year ago. Apparently he was shattered. Rogers/Lombard take his position.

Next year, yeah Witts is due for pay cut, there is Weller, Holman, Farrar, Davies, Clohesy, Long. I expect at least one of Walter, Rogers, Humphrey to leave saving some money too and getting picks.

With cap going up significantly, I would believe Suns are under less pressure than 3-5 years back. You would expect players also stay on less with success. Rowell got apparently 2M offer from Saints and stayed rumoured for 1.2M. But what do I know.

I just don't think Dimma can fit King, Walter, Read, JUH at the same time into the best 23.

Ballard back will also create interesting dilemma in defence.
Click to expand...
King will get well paid at the Suns. He'll get more if he leaves. He has always seemed very happy on the GC but who knows. Be a strange time to leave when the team is coming good.

Cap space won't be an issue for King, only Humpa (who probably leaves) and Mac on long contracts.

Folk need to chill a bit on JUH, he's a cheap punt. It's his last chance at playing AFL, of course he's turning up to training. Despite whatever PR comes out he's not going to be the reason King (or Walter as you keep saying) leaves the club.
 
Last edited:

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Jirik13 said:
Long way to go with JUH. Right now one year on 150K. I am pesimistic.

Apparently, Ben is already on 1M+. What is massive under? Surely Suns can afford 1.3M. Clubs can now afford 5-6 players on 1M+.

Suns let go 10 players and replaced them with draftees plus Petracca and JUH. Just Flanders and Ainsworth probably cover Petracca's salary. The rest of players is conservatively 1M saved.

IMO, the issue is not cap but that too many talls will compete for best 23. I guess, season 2026 will decide who leaves. If Walter starts delivering and JUH makes it Ben could be out. Read is no chance to leave.
Click to expand...
But you are going to get teams coming for him like TDK type deals
as well as other players like Walter wanting big increases as well as teams will also be making him big offers

Rgars what happens when you have too many high end talent , Clubs come calling
 
THE_GUN said:
But you are going to get teams coming for him like TDK type deals
as well as other players like Walter wanting big increases as well as teams will also be making him big offers

Rgars what happens when you have too many high end talent , Clubs come calling
Click to expand...
Or he stays for less like Rowell :)

For sure 1-2 big ones will leave.
 
With all the crap going on that is being reported happening in Melbourne, why would he want to go back to Melb.

Do you actually think he would go to C'wood for $1.6M-1.8 if GC offer $1.2-$1.4........and as a previous poster reported, Rowell didn't and he was offered less......and he and Ben are pretty close. In fact there's abt 3-4 of them really close.

And after reading the excerpt below, nothing has changed in 4 yrs except the Suns are climbing and the Pies not so much.

I find it really hard to believe that he would leave but, I made a mistake once, so we'll have to wait and see ;)


In August 2022, the Gold Coast Suns star purchased a luxury house in Burleigh for $3.875 million.

Details of the Purchase:​

  • Location: Burleigh (He specifically looked for a property that blended a "modern Melbourne look" with a "coastal boho vibe").
  • The Buy: He used a buyers' agent (former AFL player Jake Edwards) to secure the home off-market.
  • Significance: This purchase was widely seen as a major signal of his long-term commitment to the Gold Coast Suns. In media interviews following the purchase, King mentioned that buying the house and having his girlfriend move up from Melbourne made him feel "very settled" at the club
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Remove this Banner Ad

Similar threads

The Nostradamus
Unrestricted Free Agent Ben Hobbs [delisted]
2 3 4 5
Replies
124
Views
10K
THE_GUN
THE_GUN
Milanista28
Recommitted Ben Hobbs [stayed]
2 3
Replies
50
Views
10K
Rusty Beam
Rusty Beam
The Nostradamus
Recommitted Ben Ainsworth [signs 4 year deal]
2
Replies
37
Views
5K
Pure_Ownage
Pure_Ownage

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top