Saints extend injured King’s contract

ST KILDA has awarded Max King a contract extension as the No.4 draft pick closes in on a return early in the VFL season.

King is locked in at Moorabbin until 2022 and will join full non-contact training next week, pending an agility test on Tuesday.

“If that [test] goes as planned then I’ll get the all clear,” King said.

“Get a few weeks of that under my belt and then start full [contact] to get ready for games. If it keeps progressing really well then I won’t miss heaps of footy this year.”

The 204cm spearhead — who received Nick Riewoldt’s No.12 jumper — has not played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last April. Twin brother Ben King is likely to re-sign at Gold Coast once his primary aim of playing senior football is achieved.

He is not expected to debut against the Saints on Sunday.

The boys are managed by Robbie D’Orazio of Connors Sports, who has a history of re-signing Suns draftees for a further two years.

“We text pretty much every day and then occasionally have a bit of a phone call,” King said.

“He’s enjoying life up there so it’s good to see him happy.”

Ben moved in with Suns chief executive Mark Evans, though is temporarily with a teammate while Evans’s floorboards are renovated.

Max has stayed in Hampton with parents Marni and Brook King, in- jured Saints draftee Jack Bytell has moved in.

“[Bytell’s] in the spare room. Mum wasn’t quite ready to give up Ben’s room,” King said.

King has welcomed the increase of Sherrins as he steps up his rehab.

“I’m doing a lot more footy-related stuff — a lot of leading, a lot of marking and I’m starting to feel like a footballer again rather than just an athlete,” he said.

“Hopefully this gives me a lot of good habits in terms of preparation, so hopefully I can look back on it as a bit of a positive.”

Tuesday’s agility test involves lateral movement, jumping and landing drills. The lifelong Saints fan will sign his new contact in list manager James Gallagher’s office soon.