Collingwood are reportedly closing in on star Gold Coast forward Ben King, to further bolster the ranks of the premiership favourites in the years to come.
King, who sits fourth in the Coleman Medal with 33 majors, has been a key figure in the Suns’ best-ever start to a season, which has them sitting sixth with an 8-4 record at the conclusion of Round 14 and looking odds on to secure their maiden finals berth.
However, according to AFL reporter Ryan Daniels, the Magpies are ‘very, very confident’ the 24-year old, who is contracted to the Suns until the end of 2026, will be wearing black and white before too long.
“We’ve heard a lot about the interest in Ben King for years from the Victorian clubs,” Daniels said on Triple M.
“I have it on good authority that Collingwood is very, very confident that this time next year Ben King will be a Magpie or very close to it.
“They want him to be the next big piece of the puzzle and they are super, super confident.
“Things can drift as we know – we thought Kozzy Pickett was going to be a Docker – but within the Pies, they are feeling pretty good about themselves in the Ben King space.”
Ben King – Collingwood’s next star recruit? (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
King has long been seen as a trade target to be lured back to Victoria since being taken with pick 6 in the famous 2018 ‘Superdraft’ class that includes stars Connor Rozee, Zak Butters, Bailey Smith and Sam Walsh.
St Kilda have long held interest in reuiniting King with twin brother Max, even expressing interest in luring him just hours after being drafted.
The Magpies would need to trade for King to bring him to the club for the 2026 season, but he will be a free agent once his current contract expires, allowing him to walk to the Pies at the end of next year.
Given the Pies’ famously ageing list, which includes leading goalkickers Jamie Elliott and Brody Mihocek both being 32, King would be a sizeable acquisition if they can land him.
Potentially muddying the waters is the Pies’ interest in Suns teammate Matt Rowell, who is uncontracted at the end of this season and has been linked to the club.
The Magpies would need to trade for Rowell should he express an interest in leaving the Suns, while he would command a sizeable chunk of their salary cap, which may make fitting King in trickier.
“If Matt Rowell stays at the Suns it changes things a little bit for them, but Ben King is a separate entity,” Daniels said.
“They’re separate things. So I would be more confident in Ben King getting there by a little later than this time next year.”
King has played 107 games for the Suns and kicked 217 goals since making his debut in 2019, despite missing the entire 2022 season with a knee injury.
Only Tom Lynch, who famously left the Suns at the end of 2018 to win two premierships with Richmond, has kicked more goals for the club.
