St Kilda have been called out for an “embarrassing” decision to send out sidelined star Max King for a press conference without permitting him to talk about his injuries.
The 25-year-old key forward has not played an AFL game since June 2024, four months before he signed a monster contract worth well over $1.5 million per season.
He appeared in two recent VFL games before breaking down with a hamstring issue earlier this month.
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Set to miss at least another month before a possible return, King appeared at a press conference on Monday after Spud’s Game was locked in for later this year.
And that was all he was permitted to talk about.
“It was a misstep,” Craig Hutchison said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“The media were advised Max wouldn’t be taking questions about really the only questions anyone wants to ask him, which is when will he be back.”
King appeared exasperated to have to ward off the questions.
“Feeling good and excited for the backend of the year and games like Spud’s Game. Excited for the club,” he said.
Once more: “As I said I’m feeling good, excited to talk about Spud’s Game and it’s good to be here.”
And a third time: “Again I’m here to talk about Spud’s Game. There’ll be a time I can go a bit deeper into the last few years but we know Spud’s Game is a great cause.”
St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt agreed “it’s an odd look” and said “the context” to King’s appearance was that active players were on a day off on their short break between games.
“If you’re going to go along I think you’ve got to be prepared to answer those questions,” he added.
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Hutchison and Caroline Wilson both laughed as they called out the reasoning.
“That is a joke,” Wilson said.
Hutchison added: “We are a shambles as an industry on player availability. He’s only allowed to talk about a game that’s on 13 weeks from now.”
Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes said King should have been allowed to speak about his experiences over the past two years.
“For Max, who’s getting a big cheque and he doesn’t play, to not be able to answer those questions you’re right it’s embarrassing,” he said.
Hutchison replied: “He was put in that position by the club.”
Cornes: “I know. But he hasn’t played so surely he can open up.”
Hutchison added: “He should’ve said ‘listen if I’m there I’ve got to give something’.”
