St Kilda key forward Max King has made an impressive return to the league after requiring off-season shoulder surgery, leaving head coach Ross Lyon fascinated after a joyful win against Sydney on Thursday night.
Selected at pick 4 in the 2018 AFL Draft from Haileybury College, the talented key forward is considered one of the club's most impactful players with his natural athleticism and his skillset. Throughout last season, King played a total of 22 games and booted 52 goals.
Speaking after the win in Sydney, Lyon praised King's return to the game after he suffered a shoulder reconstruction just before Christmas last year, which left him to have a delayed start to the 2023 season.
King has only played in three games this season and has kicked 11 goals so far, including three against the Swans, making him a key asset to the club.
"It's a pretty good return isn't it, in these conditions? I thought that he had half chances in the game that he almost took and he's still building into it," Lyon said.
"I just think well I'm not going to take him off anyway, doesn't matter how many he's kicked."
At only 23 years old, King has been a key investment for the club, which has seen him the recipient of numerous awards. In his debut year, King earned a selection for the AFL Players' Association '22 Under 22' side and did so for the second year in a row the year after to be widely recognised and highly praised.
As well as St Kilda's Best Emerging Player in 2021 and was the club's leading goalkicker. 2022 was another momentous year for the key forward as he claimed a '22 Under 22' selection for the third time and was once again St Kilda's leading goalkicker.
The expectations initially set on King were high. As a valuable and important figure, he was expected to come back strong and ready to play, however, Lyon stated that people might've 'underestimated' the surgery that King endured, and praised his ability to have an instant impact in his return.
"I suppose I have an expectation that he's a very good player," Lyon said.
"I'm just used to very good players playing very good footy. That's why we talk about it and we rate them but maybe I'm underestimating a shoulder reconstruction in eight months and he's played four games or something in 12 months if you take the off-season."
St Kilda will be hoping to back up their 14-point win against the Swans when they face Richmond at the MCG next Saturday.
