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The reasons why Brereton would consider turning King into a key defender for St Kilda
Lachlan Geleit, SEN • December 1st, 2024 5:59 pm
Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton thinks that St Kilda should seriously consider sending Max King into defence next season.
While the Saints let Tim Membrey join Collingwood this off-season, Brereton thinks that King may be better utilised down back and go with a mixture of other tall forwards inside 50.
Although Brereton is usually of the belief that defenders can be found from other positions and that talented tall forwards are worth their weight in gold, he thinks that King’s 2024 where he kicked 19 goals from 12 games might convince the Saints to trial him at the other end of the ground.
“I think if you're going to have a mixture of tall forwards … I'm almost flirting with the idea now of putting Max King down back and solidly putting him down back,” Brereton told SEN Breakfast.
“That would be a radical change and I've always been of the opinion - you've got a raw talent (as a forward), and you can find backmen everywhere. But the form is just a little too flirty for me.
“I thought Tim Membrey is a loss albeit he's not going to be playing league footy for too much longer, but he’s going to be a value for you, and I thought St Kilda's forward line worked well with Cooper Sharman and Membrey together.”
Brereton’s belief also stems from St Kilda going 6-2 in their last eight games while King was sidelined. In those games Cooper Sharman played forward alongside Membrey and Brereton wondered if Mitch Owens could fill Membrey’s role if King were to go into defence.
“So, I'd move him (King) down (back), Sharman is there forward, and I’d like to see Mitch Owens get a little bit more in the forward line,” Brereton said.
“He's a wonderful player, I’m just a touch worried that he mightn't have enough explosiveness for a key forward role, but he's as brave as they come, and he'll run and stand under the footy.
“You probably need to get into the season and see what develops within, but I'm kind of leaning towards King going back … forwards are hard to come by, but I'm leaning towards turning Max King into a key defender.”
St Kilda opens their 2025 campaign with a Round 1 clash against Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday, March 16.
