Cornes doubles down on suggestion that star Saint should consider requesting trade

Kane Cornes has doubled down on his suggestion that Max King must leave St Kilda after penning an article about the topic in The Age.

The key forward – who grew up a St Kilda supporter and hails from the Sandringham Dragons - is currently going through a down year in 2024 where he’s kicked 12 goals from eight games as the Saints sit 15th with a 3-8 record through 11 games.

While King is still averaging 1.5 goals a game, that’s significantly down on the 2.5 he averaged in 2023 and 2.4 in 2022.

Cornes thinks much of that is down to coach Ross Lyon’s defensive game plan, which he believes doesn’t suit any forward who wants the ball coming to them with speed and precision.

While King is contracted until the end of 2026, when he qualifies for free agency, Cornes believes that the forward should demand a trade. He even believes that it’s something St Kilda should consider if that request comes given clubs will no doubt pay up for him in a trade deal.

“I didn't actually put a value on him, but I would think you start at two first-rounders,” Cornes said on SEN Sportsday.

“I think you would (get two first-rounders), I think in a heartbeat.

“I know Jeremy Cameron is Jeremy Cameron, but his trade worked out to be about three first-round picks for him when he went to Geelong.

“You wouldn’t compare those two, but he’s a lot younger than when Jeremy Cameron was traded.

“I just think he's got some decisions to make. As I said in the article, it's unlikely that he's going to request a trade at the end of this year, but of course, free agency is pending at the end of 2026.

“That takes it out of the Saints’ hands. If he goes, then you're in the hands of the AFL and that can even work out favourably or not. Or you can go a year earlier if he wants out and (his agent) Paul Connors has got a good record of getting his players out.”

Cornes couldn’t see any forward in the AFL thriving at the Saints at the moment and he thinks King’s attitude is being affected by being dealt the hardest hand in the competition as a tall option.

“But I just think at the Saints with what is going on at the moment, who could get a kick in their forward line?” Cornes asked.

“They are last in forward half kicking efficiency, they're last in forward half intercepts to score, they’re last in forward half clearance to score and they're 17th for goals per inside forward 50.

“The first person that's criticised every time they perform poorly is Max King.

“I look at the guy. He looks sad. He's fighting two and three opponents every time.

“He's doing his best. Like even his performance last week under the circumstances and the opportunity that he got was good.”

Cornes thinks King would be looking around at other forwards in the competition who are performing well - including his brother Ben at Gold Coast who has kicked 32 goals this year – and think that he too should be at their level given his talent and previous success.

“You go, ‘I'm entering the prime of my career. I can look at what Jesse Hogan is doing at the Giants or his brother who can win the Coleman’,” Cornes said.

“Even what Tom Lynch did when he joined the Tigers and how that elevated his career. What Jeremy Cameron did when he went to the Cats.

“I think it’s time for Max to start asking himself where he’s best suited and where he’ll get the most out of himself.”

King and the Saints next face West Coast at Optus Stadium on Saturday afternoon.