\u201cObviously, I have a really keen eye on Max. My heart has just ached for him over the last couple of years,\u201d Riewoldt, now a prominent commentator, said at Seven\u2019s AFL season launch on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI played my entire career with a compromised knee, so I understand the struggle. I just hope it\u2019s go-time for him, and he gets that level of continuity that he needs because it\u2019s really hard to become the player you want to be without continuity. I hope he gets that this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
King had surgery in mid-2025 to repair damage to the medial ligament in his right knee, which had been an issue since late in the pre-season. The Saints re-signed King to a six-year deal in 2024, extending him to 2032.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have got my fingers crossed for him,\u201d Riewoldt said.<\/p>\n
King booted a career-high 52 goals in 2022, and remains a central piece of what the Saints hope will be a breakthrough premiership team over the next five years.<\/p>\n
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Riewoldt is a fan of the club\u2019s bold recruiting spree.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love how aggressive they have been. They have been to draft, they have recruited. The only other tool at their disposal is to use the salary cap of which they had plenty of space. So to be aggressive and get out there and reshape the market, I love it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Riewoldt is confident De Koning will deliver in the ruck after signing a whopping eight-year, $12 million deal.<\/p>\n
De Koning will face major scrutiny should he struggle, but Riewoldt says the new ruck rules encouraging the big men to again leap at centre ball-ups will help him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens if he plays below expectations? I think any time a player plays below expectation, regardless of what they are getting paid, they come under scrutiny,\u201d Riewoldt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be no different, but I think the changes in the rules are going to help him from a ruck perspective. People are probably sleeping on that a little bit. He is a jumper. Getting back to the days of Nic Nat [Naitanui], being able to launch in the ruck, I think that suits him perfectly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is still building his game, but I am excited about what he can do in the next 10 [years].\u201d<\/p>\n
While Saints are expected to now make the finals, having finished 12th in each of the past two seasons, Riewoldt said he was taking a long-term view.<\/p>\n
\u201cA pass mark? I am reluctant to put a number on because I think it is going to be more over the next three years, rather than what happens specifically over the next 12 months,\u201d Riewoldt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it will be more the eye test \u2013 what do we see from a [Mattaes] Phillipou, what do we see from [Max] King. The recruits are great, but I think a lot of that organic growth is going to come from the players they have there and need to become stars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suns gun the latest Origin casualty<\/p>\n
Andrew Wu<\/p>\n
Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell will miss the start of the season as the injury toll from State of Origin rises.<\/p>\n
The Gold Coast midfield star will undergo surgery later this week to repair a fractured finger sustained while representing Victoria against Western Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n The cost to clubs of the return of Origin has climbed significantly since first thought on Saturday night when Carlton\u2019s Jacob Weitering appeared to be the major concern.<\/p>\n Matt Rowell will undergo surgery later this week for a fractured finger sustained in State of Origin.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dbe909ae5510bd58528563037a0d82316a778f96.jpeg\")
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