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Sport Nation
Hayes insists Saints have no timeline on King
Andrew Slevison • June 18th, 2026 10:35 am
St Kilda assistant coach Lenny Hayes insists the club does not have a timeline on Max King.
The key forward has again been cruelled by his body in 2026, suffering a hamstring injury in his VFL return in early May having not played at AFL level since 2024.
King recently received treatment in Queensland as he strives to return in season 2026 but Hayes says the Saints won’t be placing any unnecessary pressure on the 25-year-old.
“He just got back from the Gold Coast. He went up there for a bit of a circuit-breaker and worked with a renowned physio up there,” Hayes said of King on SEN Breakfast.
“He’s in a really good headspace and now he’ll go into a conditioning block.
“You get asked all the time, ‘What’s the timeframe?’. There isn’t really one at the moment. We’re just going to see how he’s progressing and how comfortable he is.
“I’ve got no doubt he can play a role for us in the back end of this year. But more importantly it’s about the future years. He’s a long-term player for us and a really important part of what we’re trying to do.”
“So we’ll just give him all the time and support he needs to get back and that’s the most important thing for us.”
The Saints, who beat the Giants by eight points last Sunday, take on the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium this Sunday.
They could be boosted by the return of three-time leading goal kicker Jack Higgins who has missed the past four matches after undergoing minor surgery on his knee.
“If you ask Jack it will be this weekend,” Hayes said.
“He’s looking ok. He’s got to get through training on Friday but he’s not too far away.”
Another Saint out of the senior side right now is Mattaes Phillipou who was dropped prior to the GWS clash.
Phillipou’s form has fluctuated over the first half of the year which is completely normal for a player in the infancy of his career, according to club legend Hayes.
“Mattaes is like any young player that’s going to go through fluctuations with their game when they’re young,” Hayes said of the 21-year-old.
“I think back to when I first came through I probably didn’t feel comfortable at the level as a midfielder until my fourth year. I was playing a bit of half-forward, playing a bit of mid and it just took me a while to build that confidence.
“I think we sometimes forget that Mattaes was the youngest player taken in his draft. He played every game in his first year, and in his second year he had a little stint back at the VFL and built out his craft as a midfielder. He came back in and played some really good games.
“Last year his season was pretty much ruined through injury so he’s really only a third-year player who is still developing his craft.
“He’s going to be a really good player, there’s no doubt about that. Like always at times we have to go back and find a bit of form, and I’ve no doubt he’s going to play an important role in the back end of the season and in the future for the Saints.”
Phillipou had 28 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 10 inside 50s and nine clearances in an impressive performance in the VFL against North Melbourne last weekend.
Additionally, Hayes also provided an update on Darcy Wilson who has been heavily linked with a move to the Kangaroos at season’s end.
“We’re pretty comfortable with where things are at with Darcy,” he said of the third-year Saint.
“He’s a really important young player for us and we’re hoping over the next little while that we might be able to get something done there.
“He’s having a great season and he’s part of that young core group that’s going to take the club forward. He’s really important to us.”
The Saints enter their Round 15 clash with the eighth-placed Doggies sitting in 10th spot with a 6-8 record. They’ve lost their past three to the Dogs by 72, 71 and 60 points.
