Restricted Free Agent Ben King

[Chip Scab1]

Mate you keep talking about the hawks topping up do we need to look at who you have picked up in the last years? Just to name a few Darling, Parker, Shiels and Caleb Daniel.

Our “top ups” the last few years. Gunston, (AA), Battle (AA), Massimo (AA Squad), Chol (Back to back 40 goal years), Ginni (Just a gun), Barrass (One of the better KPD)

Glad we’re “topping up” just so our coach can get a new contract.

You absolutely know **** all about footy

Again, I'm not disputing anything you say.

Cept Chol who you rate, but really is a fraud and you're above middle of road (not that much better once your gun oldies retire). Picking up scraps from West Coast and GC17 isn't gonna help or cover over the fact that you're B+ trying to beat A grade sides like Brisbane, GWS and GC.

It's ok, apparently I'm looking for a response (which I'm not) certainly not from the actually delusional.

I've said you're a great club and you are the greatest AFL side in history, you're not getting more than that outta me. Why? Because I've been surrounded by Hawk since I was 11. Hartwell Primary will do that to you.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Mate you keep talking about the hawks topping up do we need to look at who you have picked up in the last years? Just to name a few Darling, Parker, Shiels and Caleb Daniel.

Our “top ups” the last few years. Gunston, (AA), Battle (AA), Massimo (AA Squad), Chol (Back to back 40 goal years), Ginni (Just a gun), Barrass (One of the better KPD)

Glad we’re “topping up” just so our coach can get a new contract.

You absolutely know **** all about footy

Top ups? You can do that when you have 30 1st Rounders who aren't even 22 yet.

The difference being you're doing it because they're in your best 23, ours are there to teach our kids... this is fairly basic stuff, I'd have thought.

Darling isn't at North to help us win a flag, he's there to provide guidance and a chop out and top up his super. Again, you can do that when you have AGrade kids. You don't outside of Watson.

 

[GinniAndTonic]

Top ups? You can do that when you have 30 1st Rounders who aren't even 22 yet.

The difference being you're doing it because they're in your best 23, ours are there to teach our kids... this is fairly basic stuff, I'd have thought.

Darling isn't at North to help us win a flag, he's there to provide guidance and a chop out and top up his super. Again, you can do that when you have AGrade kids. You don't outside of Watson.

Watson (20), Dear (20), Weddle (21), Ward (22), D’Ambrosio (22), C. McDonald (22), Butler (22) Ginni (23) all are A grade talent and any of them would instantly be top 3 at your club.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Watson (20), Dear (20), Weddle (21), Ward (22), D’Ambrosio (22), C. McDonald (22), Butler (22) Ginni (23) all are A grade talent and any of them would instantly be top 3 at your club.

None of them are anywhere near AGrade.

Watson the only likely one.

A Grade = dominant in their position for 2 years to me.

Calsher Dear (y me), give me a spell. He's as unco as his dad.

 

[RanaNaved]

112% gone? My oh my.

107% I said

 

[The Nostradamus]

apparently in no rush to start contract talks

 

[mpal6]

apparently in no rush to start contract talks

Someone will throw a godfather offer at him surely.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Someone will throw a godfather offer at him surely.

Suns apparently will offer 1.4mil a year for 7 years

Don’t think it will be about money he will get paid well either way maybe someone offers 200k more

Really depends if he wants to come home or not

 

[Jirik13]

Suns apparently will offer 1.4mil a year for 7 years

Don’t think it will be about money he will get paid well either way maybe someone offers 200k more

Really depends if he wants to come home or not

The article was quite optimistic about Ben staying. Apparently, he loves it on Gold Coast. Let's see. If JUH makes successful return I still think one of King, Walter will leave. Surplus of talls but then Suns are apparently trying Read on wing.

 

[THE_GUN]

Pies will be coming hard for Big Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

25

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

 

[aussierulesrules]

They have been saying this for 5 years now . Reality is no club with Nick Daicos is on the way down. They will still be a finals team

What is the alternative club he joins though

Pies are currently 10th in the betting to finish top 6 and 9th for the flag. So someone evidently thinks they’re on the way down.

 

[beowulf]

Pies are currently 10th in the betting to finish top 6 and 9th for the flag. So someone evidently thinks they’re on the way down.

Collingwood do have a good system, but they have one of the oldest lists. Their only young top players are the Daicos boys, who have been very durable. In fact of their oldies have been good because they've been durable.
What would happen to them if they had a year if injury like Carlton of 2024 or Essendon of 2025? Especially, if it is the Daicos boys who go down?
It is very hard to sustain success if you can't get your best team on the park regularly. Carlton have shown that: we haven't had a full list (as in 3 or less players unavailable) to select from since early 1996. (You could argue that they had injury concerns the year after they won the flag: they certainly struggled to back up that season. But I don't think many teams have experienced obliterations of their lists like the 2 I mentioned previously.)

To be honest, I'd love to see Collingwood fall off the cliff: I just can't see it. While their important players remain durable, they will be dangerous.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Collingwood do have a good system, but they have one of the oldest lists. Their only young top players are the Daicos boys, who have been very durable. In fact of their oldies have been good because they've been durable.
What would happen to them if they had a year if injury like Carlton of 2024 or Essendon of 2025? Especially, if it is the Daicos boys who go down?
It is very hard to sustain success if you can't get your best team on the park regularly. Carlton have shown that: we haven't had a full list (as in 3 or less players unavailable) to select from since early 1996. (You could argue that they had injury concerns the year after they won the flag: they certainly struggled to back up that season. But I don't think many teams have experienced obliterations of their lists like the 2 I mentioned previously.)

To be honest, I'd love to see Collingwood fall off the cliff: I just can't see it. While their important players remain durable, they will be dangerous.

The huge issue for them is that they have just two blokes at their club right now (with Hill AWOL) who kicked 20 or more goals last year (Elliott and Membrey).

They basically need Elliott (who turns 34 this year) to be peak Gaz Snr.

The other best teams had 6 or 7 kick 20 or more, so it’s incredibly hard to see them kicking winning scores consistently against top teams, and as you said, they’d be in deep do-do if they got hit hard by injuries.

If McStay went down again for instance who are their key forwards? 188cm Membrey and….

If Moore is missing who are their key backs? Frampton and 36yo Howe?

They need a Ben King (or someone like him) or two, in a very, very, very big way.

 

[Freomaniac]

Pies are currently 10th in the betting to finish top 6 and 9th for the flag. So someone evidently thinks they’re on the way down.

I can't see the pies getting Ben King

 

[beowulf]

I can't see the pies getting Ben King

It certainly isn't their normal modus operandi to overpay, which would be necessary to get King. They don't pay a lot to players who they depend on already.
That said, maybe they'll think differently if the St. Kilda model works in 2026.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Would be strange indeed for him to do all the hard yards during the down years, then leave GC just as they look to be improving and becoming a destination club.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Would be strange indeed for him to do all the hard yards during the down years, then leave GC just as they look to be improving and becoming a destination club.

If he does leave you’d think it would largely be about where he wants to live. If he’s genuinely happy living on the Gold Coast and would for instance stay there even if he’d just retired, it’s hard to imagine he’d leave the Suns now.

Free agency seems to be the time these guys get the lifetime type contracts though, so if they do want to live in a different place, the time to do so is then.

 

[Toump Ass]

Suns apparently will offer 1.4mil a year for 7 years

Don’t think it will be about money he will get paid well either way maybe someone offers 200k more

Really depends if he wants to come home or not

He's not getting paid more anywhere else. AFL will give Gold Coast Handouts extra salary cap, marketing allowance(rort), a cushy post-AFL career. Anything to make their little pet project appear successful.

 

[briztoon]

The article was quite optimistic about Ben staying. Apparently, he loves it on Gold Coast. Let's see. If JUH makes successful return I still think one of King, Walter will leave. Surplus of talls but then Suns are apparently trying Read on wing.

If you were to lose a tall, surely you’d want it to be Mac Andrew.

Trade Humphrey and Andrew to Melbourne for their 2026 & 2027 firsts, plus a little something extra, like a 2026 second, and that helps keep all the other players you’ll have pay, plus sorts out your KPP stocks.

 

[Elixuh]

Unless someone is going to offer $2mpa, he’d be better off staying at the Suns. I remember Saints fans taunting GCS about Ben going to the Saints, but why would he want to do that.

I think likely outcome is he stays or someone with a lot of cap space offers him an irresponsible amount to move.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Unless someone is going to offer $2mpa, he’d be better off staying at the Suns. I remember Saints fans taunting GCS about Ben going to the Saints, but why would he want to do that.

I think likely outcome is he stays or someone with a lot of cap space offers him an irresponsible amount to move.

the key factor is whether he wants to come home or not

or play interstate for the rest of his career

 

[Elixuh]

the key factor is whether he wants to come home or not

or play interstate for the rest of his career

Don’t know why anyone would want to go back to Melbourne over the Gold Coast.

 

[Jirik13]

Ben's brother Max is apparently paid 1.4-1.6M per year according to Twomey article today.

How much is Ben worth, haha? Apparently, Suns put aside 1.4M for him.

 

[Elixuh]

Ben's brother Max is apparently paid 1.4-1.6M per year according other Twomey article today.

How much is Ben worth, haha? Apparently, Suns put aside 1.4M for him.

In Saints dollars, $2.5m, based on what Max is getting.

But for the 17 other teams, $1.4 seems about right.

 

[SSSSSS]

Am I the only one that doesn't really rate him highly?

One trick pony although kicking a squillion goals is a very good trick.