If it wasn’t for the Sydney Academy, Max King might’ve been a rising rugby league player.
And that’s the serious reality for plenty of young boys and girls playing sports in New South Wales.
An athletic, explosive forward with an incredible vertical jump and an extreme amount of upside, King credits the Swans’ Academy program as a key reason why he is in the mix to be a first-round selection this year.
Watch exclusive live coverage of the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft on Kayo Sports 19-20 Nov | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
“Sydney’s Academy is awesome, I can’t speak highly enough for them. The amount of respect I have for them, the amount of resources and effort and time they’ve put into me, without the Swans Academy I’d probably be playing rugby league,” he told foxfooty.com.au.
“They’ve been absolutely awesome for my journey. The Academies are so important for people in New South Wales, otherwise most will play rugby league.”
In the years since he joined the Academy, King believes there has been a cultural shift in New South Wales. Kids want to pick up the Sherrin because there’s a genuine pathway.
“I live in Newcastle, the game is definitely growing. The Academy is becoming a lot stronger in the Coates League. We’re getting some good players coming through and the AFL is growing in these states due to the academies,” he said.
The fact King has chosen to pursue a footy career is a huge tick for the game because, in reality, King had plenty of options on the table.
King comes from a strong athletics background. When he was in Under 12s, he held the national record for long jump and triple jump.
But then footy took over.
Max King poses during the Telstra AFL Draft Combine Headshots Session. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“I was nine when I first started footy… my dad’s stepdad founded our local club, that’s how I kind of got into it,” he began.
“I always wanted to be a footballer growing up ever since I started. The dream became more of a reality as I got older and had more passion towards it.
“I played a little bit of soccer but did lots of athletics. Then AFL took over and I needed to train full time.
“I went back to athletics at 16 with no training and won the state long jump again and made the 100m finals, I was pretty happy with that.
“I enjoyed footy a lot more. The athletics was more for the footy resume when I did it again at 16.
“AFL’s a very athletic game, a lot of skills correlate. My marking has benefitted because of all my techniques with my jumps and stuff.”
Molloy set to have season-ending surgery | 00:50
Holding national records boggles the mind, but King casually returned to athletics just for the fun of it.
It’s that pure athleticism that has recruiters salivating.
Coming into the 2025 campaign, King was regarded as a potential top-five prospect. Unfortunately due to injury and form, he hasn’t quite delivered on those pre-season expectations.
“I’ve been happy with some games and pretty unhappy with some. I feel like I never really reached my potential where I know I could’ve got to, but there’s no point dwelling on that now,” he candidly admitted.
“It is really hard, especially when you have the bad games. It’s about backing up week to week, to be a good footballer you’ve got to play well every week and you’ve got to be consistent. Moving forward it’s something I’ll really work on.
“I’m just looking forward to hopefully, if I’m fortunate enough, to get picked up by an AFL club, taking my talents there.”
Max King at the combine. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/AFL Photos/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
In this day and age, it’s hard to escape the media hype. If you don’t see a phantom form guide on Instagram, you’ll probably have a mate send you a video from TikTok.
“It did weigh on me at the start of the year, looking at social media and that. Halfway through the year I stopped, I don’t have any influence on it now and don’t look at it anymore,” King said.
“It can be hard to avoid it, sometimes it just pops up on your feed. I’ve gotten pretty good at ignoring it now, it’s something that if you do want to become an AFL footballer you have to become good at dealing with the media.”
King wouldn’t be where he is today without having some key figures in his corner. His parents have been instrumental, but so too was his local coach, Danny Priest.
At the end of 2024, King’s world was turned upside down.
“At the end of last year I got injured and missed the Futures game at the MCG. A couple of weeks later my local coach passed away, who my family and I were really close with. That was really hard,” he said.
“He was a big influence on my footy journey, he took me from junior footy to senior footy.”
Every time he runs out to the footy field, King thinks of Priest.
Prestia makes statement against charges | 00:41
Another key influence in his footy journey has been Academy coach and former Swan Colin O’Riordan, who played 34 games for the Bloods between 2015 and 2022.
“He’s probably the reason I’m here today. He’s been awesome for me, really helped develop me as a player,” King said.
“He’s been drafted and played AFL football, he knows the highs and lows of footy. It’s good to have someone I can trust and understand. He’s not so much a coach but just a mate towards me now, he’s been really good.”
In his spare time, King likes to relax and switch off by hanging out with his girlfriend, Layla and his mates.
He’s an avid Marvel fan, a keen fisherman – his go-to place is in the channel of Lake Macquarie – and he loves playing golf with his mates or dad.
Another key step in King’s footy journey was his exposure to VFL footy earlier this year, where he hit the scoreboard and showcased some exciting traits.
“My favourite memory would be my first VFL game running out, they had the Swans song on up in Southport. It was a bit of a pinch myself moment,” he said.
“The VFL was awesome for me. I felt like my play style really suits the higher level of footy, whether it’s VFL or hopefully AFL football. It was awesome, the Swans were great, I love playing with them.”
And now King, a lifelong Swan who comes from the same local club as Sydney superstar Isaac Heeney, could soon be running out in the red and white on the biggest stage of all.
“It would be absolutely awesome, I can’t control where I go but I’d love to end up at the Swans.”