Collingwood are reportedly "very confident" that star Gold Coast forward Ben King will be in black and white stripes in 2027 and beyond, as the key tall falls out of contract at the end of next season.

The Magpies have been hunting for a tall key forward for multiple years, running with undersized duo Brody Mihocek and Tim Membrey currently in 2025, while in previous years, Mihocek has manned the forward fort with ruckmen Mason Cox and Darcy Cameron, and occasionally Dan McStay and Billy Frampton.

However, pulling off a heist on the Suns star goalkicker would be a prized inclusion into an already successful side, with the Magpies boasting top spot of the ladder more than halfway through the 2025 season.

The Magpies would be more likely to collect King's signature if Gold Coast counterpart Matthew Rowell was already in a Magpies guernsey, with the gun Pick 1 still yet to re-sign beyond 2025 in the Sunshine State.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 29: Ben King of the Suns celebrates kicking a goal during the round three AFL match between Melbourne Demons and Gold Coast Suns at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on March 29, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 29: Ben King of the Suns celebrates kicking a goal during the round three AFL match between Melbourne Demons and Gold Coast Suns at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on March 29, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

If Rowell is still a Sun next season though, a move to get King is still well and truly on the cards, according to journalist Ryan Daniels.

"One to keep an eye on is (Rowell's) teammate, Ben King. We've heard a lot about the interest in Ben King for years here in the Victorian clubs but I have it on good authority that Collingwood are very, very confident that this time next year that Ben King will be a Magpie, or very close to it," Daniels said onย Triple M.

"He's out of contract next year, that's when they're going to go super, super hard at him. They want him to be the next piece of the puzzle. I think they are super, super confident.

"Things can drift as we know, things can change. We thought Kozzy Pickett was going to be a Docker. But I know within the Pies, they are feeling pretty good about themselves in the Ben King space.

"If Matt Rowell stays at the Suns it changes things a little bit for them, but Ben King is a separate entity. They're separate things. So I would be more confident in Ben King getting there by a little later than this time next year.

"He'd be on serious money... I reckon Ben King is one of those guys that you'd have a look at."

King currently sits fourth in the Coleman medal tally with 33 on the year, and is the leading goalkicker for the Suns.

The 24-year-old has long been rumoured to be lured back to his home state as a product out of the Sandringham Dragons.