Max King has received the NAB Rising Star nomination for Round 12 off the back of his three-goal performance against Essendon.
The 20-year-old bagged two of his three majors in the opening term and complemented his equal-best tally with six marks (three contested) and five score involvements.
King almost had four to his name at quarter-time, but was pinged for holding the ball in the goalsquare.
Although there’s still plenty to work on for the young key forward and his side, his starring potential is what has excited St Kilda fans most.
After inheriting St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt’s esteemed No. 12 guernsey, the lifelong Saints fan who idolised Roo has met the lofty, external expectations placed upon him.
King currently sits in the top-10 of the Coleman Medal count (18) in his debut season, slotting multiple goals on six occasions.
His impressive accuracy also sees him just four majors behind club leading goalkicker for Season 2020, Dan Butler.
The key forward’s aerial prowess and contested marking ability – ranked eighth in the competition – have similarly impressed week after week, while a dazzling pirouette through traffic on Sunday highlighted the 202cm talent’s surprising athleticism at ground level.
King becomes the first Saint nominated for the award in 2020, joining most recent nominees Josh Battle (Round 22, 2019), Hunter Clark (Round 13, 2018) and Ben Long (Round 5, 2018) in receiving recognition.
King was originally selected at pick No. 4 in the 2018 National Draft and has played every game of his debut season following a well-documented ACL injury in his draft year.
