St Kilda forward Max King has had his injured right knee operated on yet again, with his persistent troubles to continue into the new year.
The club revealed on Wednesday that King is expected to be out of St Kilda's main training until the end of January following the procedure, and was understandably not seen on the track during the gruelling match sim in the blistering heat at Moorabbin Oval.
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King's last 12 months have already been heavily disrupted due to the knee concern. While St Kilda had hoped he would return midway through the 2025 campaign, persistent medial pain in his right knee eventually saw him undergo season-ending surgery.
King has kicked 159 goals in just 83 AFL games since being drafted in 2018, but has not played since Round 16, 2024.
The Saints also revealed that attacking dual role player Mason Wood suffered a calf injury earlier in the week, but were vague in its severity, expecting the 32-year-old to "spend some time" on the sidelines.
Wood had a career-best season in front of goal in 2025, kicking 22 majors, as Ross Lyon opted to move the utility further up the ground.
Young tall Alex Dodson played a similar attacking role in his debut match and sole game for 2025, with the 19-year-old contributing to a handful of scores against Essendon in Round 23. However, his build into 2026 has been delayed, with the Saints revealing that he has suffered a light hamstring strain.
Dodson is expected to return to a full pre-season training block in mid-January, but it's important to note that he was seen at Wednesday's training, participating in light running and skills.
