Overview
- Max King, who played his first AFL game in 757 days on Sunday, left in the third quarter with hamstring tightness and was officially ruled out for the match.
- The club has arranged scans for King and Ross Lyon said medical staff will update the public once results are available, defending the choice to play him.
- St Kilda cleared King after a four-week training block and limited VFL minutes this year, opting to give him controlled AFL minutes rather than an extended VFL build-up.
- Commentators including Kane Cornes called the selection rushed and irresponsible while other broadcasters noted there was no clear catastrophic hamstring tear visible on broadcast.
- Despite King’s early exit, St Kilda beat North Melbourne and stayed in wildcard contention, but the scan outcome will shape his short-term rehabilitation and the club’s finals planning.