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“Pull your socks up”: King’s dig at the footy media after Gather Round
Lachlan Geleit • April 14th, 2025 11:59 am
David King has called out the footy media for continually writing off players when they enter their thirties.
King’s dig came after Gather Round where a raft of veterans stood up in wins for their sides.
In King’s eyes, 35-year-old Callan Ward (one goal, 27 disposals), 34-year-old Steele Sidebottom (28 disposals, 13 score involvements), 36-year-old Dayne Zorko (23 disposals, 10 rebound 50s), 35-year-old Patrick Dangerfield (four goals), 32-year-old Dylan Shiel (one goal, 30 disposals) and 33-year-old Jack Gunston (six goals) proved the doubters wrong across Round 5.
“I just want to give a little pull your socks up to us in the media who keep writing off guys that are north of 30,” King said on SEN's Fireball.
“On the weekend, I think we have to recognise some of our elderly citizens, guys that are hiding in plain sight.
“I thought Callan Ward was extraordinary again yesterday. He does some things that are so tough, he ran back with the flight into (Anthony) Caminiti.
“Callan Ward is 35 and Steele Sidebottom is doing it at 34. Dayne Zorko, I don’t know how he does it … he’s 36.
“We talk a lot about Dangerfield and rightly so and Dylan Shiel I want to mention because we put it on him a couple of weeks ago and he got moved from the half-back flank … he's gone back into the middle, and it's been terrific. Jack Gunston kicked six as well.
“I just think we need to recognise those players. The 30 barrier is not a barrier anymore.”
King's co-host Kane Cornes also had the footy media in his sights during Monday’s segment.
Listen below:
