Ben King Biography

Ben King has started running again, taking the next step in his comeback from a knee reconstruction as he eyes a return to playing in 2023.

"My plan is to try and have as normal a pre-season as possible and as normal a lead into next year as possible. We'll have to see how the knee progresses over the pre-season," he said.

Ben King will miss the 2022 season after tearing his ACL during training.

Gold Coast's Ben King says twin brother, Max King, is his greatest aid in tackling the League's best backs.

"Most key defenders in the League I've matched up on and prepared for and watched vision on, so when it comes around this year I'm more confident I know the player they are," King said.

"Having Max playing footy as well is massive for me in that when he plays on a bloke he'll tell me what he was like. I watch Max's vision against someone and see how Max exposed him, and how he got hold of Max, and that helps me enormously as well."

Five games into his AFL career, Ben King is already a key part of St Kilda's attack and a key reason for their good form so far in 2020.

"This is only his second year, but he didn't really play much last year so we're just seeing what he can really do athletically and when he's going for the ball," Saints forwards coach Brendon Lade said.

"He understands he's still got a bit to learn about the game, but his raw potential is as good as anyone I've seen."

Ben King admits it was a relief to finally sign a contract extension with Gold Coast late in 2019 after being widely tipped to return to Melbourne, possibly to join twin brother Max at St Kilda.

"It was a relief (because) it was weighing on me a bit during that period. But I couldn't be happier to have two more years at the Suns and at least not think about it. I can just worry about footy," he said.

Ben King explains his decision to re-sign with Gold Coast despite St Kilda approaching his management about reuniting him with his brother Max.

"The only thing that mattered to me was what I was feeling and what my family was thinking about the situation and that made for an easy decision in the end," King said.

"From the start I was loving being up here and the off-season gave me time to reflect on my year and think about the future ahead, so I thought the time was right to commit for the next few years."

Ben King puts an end to any speculation of a reunion with his brother Max at St Kilda by signing a two-year contract extension with Gold Coast to remain at the club until the end of 2022.

"I'm loving my time at the club, am excited by the challenge we have in front of us and have confidence we can achieve all we want to in the future," Ben said.

"Everyone at the club has made my family and I feel extremely welcome which helped with making the transition to be a professional footballer in the AFL."

Gold Coast has put a contract offer in front of its promising key-position star Ben King, as a number of Victorian clubs begin to consider luring the youngster back to his home state in 2020.

"Absolutely we've put a contract offer in front of Ben," Gold Coast list manager Craig Cameron said.

"What I know is he's really happy. I've got all the reason to be confident, there."

St Kilda football chief Simon Lethlean reveals that the club has spoken to Sun Ben King's management, canvassing the possibility of reuniting him with his brother, Max King at the Saints.

"Ben is playing at Gold Coast next year, and if he doesn't sign and looks to move next year we'll talk to him," Lethlean said.

"I think anyone who was going to draft Max would like Ben to join him at some stage because they're both elite talent, hard-to-find players of that ilk. So if he wants to join Max and we can get that done at some stage that'd be terrific.

"We drafted Max for Max, but it's obviously a romantic thought to have twins playing together. It happens occasionally – if it happens for the Saints it'd be unbelievable."

Ben King is the 2019 round 19 Rising Star nominee after booting four goals against Essendon.

With his brother, Max King, having been drafted by St Kilda, pundits have speculated that Ben will eventually quit the Suns to return to Melbourne.

"The plan has always been to leave contract talks to the end of the season and just focus on football for my first year," Ben said.

"We'll see how that goes, but I'm absolutely loving playing football with these boys and I'm loving the club and everyone involved in the club. I can't complain at all."

Ben King makes his AFL debut for Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval with 5 disposals (a kick and 4 handballs) in a 38-point loss to Port Adelaide.

After 16km of hiking on a hot Queenstown day, Gold Coast senior assistant coach Dean Solomon asked draftee Ben King to stand inside a circle of his 40-plus teammates.

"What result did you get on your ATAR?" Solomon asked.

"96.35," came King's reply.

The 18-year-old was then set upon and mobbed by his teammates with genuine affection.

Some rapturous applause and whistling would have shown King the appreciation he deserved, but the collective excitement was an indication of the impact the young Victorian has already had on the group.

Brothers Max King and Ben King will become become the tallest twins in League history, and almost certainly the earliest drafted.

Twins Max King and Ben King will be separated for the first time after being drafted by St Kilda with pick No.4 and Gold Coast with pick No.6 respectively.

"It'll be a bit different because we've never really been apart, but no doubt we'll be in contact and I'll follow his career closely, and I'm sure he'll do the same with me," Max King said.

Likely top-five draft pick Max King says if he is drafted interstate he would prefer to head to a club with twin brother Ben King.

"That's just a part of the draft that you could go interstate so whatever happens, happens," Max said.

"I guess if I was to go interstate I'd like to go with Ben, that'd be pretty good, but after the trade period all the picks will be shuffled around so it's hard to tell."