St Kilda forward Max King is set to make his long-awaited AFL return on Sunday against North Melbourne, pending he gets through training.
King hasn't played since Round 16, 2024, sidelined with knee, shoulder and soft-tissue injuries.
"As long as he gets through training," Saints coach Ross Lyon said.
"He's done an enormous amount of work. And every time throughout that, he stepped up and got a bigger base, hence the sharper return, but certainly back to 2023 volumes and running numbers. He looks strong and fit. We expect him to get through tomorrow and play."
King returned earlier in the year via the VFL, but Lyon says the key forward has put in more sessions, and reached higher capacities to give the high-performance team confidence he can make his return in the senior side.
" A little bit," Lyon said.
"He's done so much more work than his last VFL return. Bigger sessions, percentages are 30-40 per cent more, and we overlaid it with his 2023 return. We know it's not going to be easy; we get that, but he's in such better physical and mental shape.
"But we're respecting the level; we understand (Aidan) Corr and (Charlie) Comben. We're certainly not being flippant. We just see risk versus reward, and we just think he really helps us. We were the smallest team in the AFL last week in average height.
"It certainly gives a bigger man for a fair bit of the game."
Lyon isn't expecting much from King on his return game.
Recruit Tom De Koning is unlikely to face the Kangaroos. The star ruckman has been sidelined with a punctured lung and fractured ribs since Round 15.
"In my post-game presser last week, it was more likely; it's probably shifted to unlikely," Lyon said. "But he's a chance."
The Saints sit precariously inside the top 10, and Sunday's clash is the proverbial eight-point game against North Melbourne.
A race for the 10th spot will be between St Kilda, GWS, Carlton, Gold Coast and the Kangaroos, with Geelong sitting two games clear in ninth.
