Club Update
The Melbourne Football Club is proud to announce the appointment of Steven King as its new AFL senior coach
THE MELBOURNE Football Club is proud to announce the appointment of Steven King as its new AFL senior coach.
King becomes the 28th AFL/VFL senior coach of the club, arriving with a wealth of experience both on the field and in the coaches’ box.
The appointment follows a thorough process, whereby the Board unanimously accepted the recommendation of the selection panel, consisting of President Brad Green, CEO Paul Guerra, Director Steven Smith, GM of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson, former Essendon Captain Jobe Watson, Melbourne Storm Director of Football Frank Ponissi and Human Resources Executive Meahan Callaghan.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Steven as the new senior coach of our AFL program, on what is a significant day for our club,” Green said.
“Steven brings an abundance of experience from across the league, having held coaching positions at St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, the Gold Coast SUNS and Geelong. I think it’s safe to say he was pretty impressive on the field too.
“Steven has elite football IQ and a deep understanding of the game. He is highly competitive, places a strong focus on connection, and has a coaching philosophy we think our players will thrive under. During the appointment process, it became more and more clear that Steven was the ideal candidate for us.
“As a football club, we’re delighted to be entering this next chapter with Steven at the helm. We have no doubt he is the right person to lead us forward.”
King said he was full of excitement to be joining the red and blue.
“Melbourne has a rich history, and I feel very humbled to be given this opportunity at one of the oldest professional sporting clubs in the world,” King said.
“I began my AFL career in 1996 and have experienced it all across the past 30 years. I’m excited to bring my experience to the club and see what we can achieve, together, from next season and beyond.
“I can’t wait to meet the playing group, my fellow coaches, the staff, and the Demon faithful, and start building towards 2026.”
In a decorated on-field career, King played 240 AFL games across a 15-year stint at both Geelong and St Kilda. He captained the Cats for four seasons, achieving the ultimate success in 2007 as part of the premiership team.
He switched to the Saints ahead of the 2008 season, playing in three campaigns for St Kilda before calling time on his playing days in 2010.
Following his retirement, King quickly shifted to coaching, remaining at the Saints for two seasons before heading to Whitten Oval to join the Western Bulldogs.
He tasted further success across a 10-season stretch at the Dogs, part of the coaching panel to deliver the 2016 premiership win and 2021 Grand Final appearance.
King took a senior assistant coaching role at the Gold Coast SUNS in 2022, where he was also appointed caretaker coach for seven matches at the back end of 2023.
He then returned to the club he called home in Geelong, working with the midfield for the past two seasons.
King will continue in this role for the remainder of Geelong’s AFL Finals campaign, officially joining the red and blue at its conclusion.