Saints start talks on uniting Kings in AFL
St Kilda want to lure Ben King away from Gold Coast when his current AFL contract expires, to join brother Max at Moorabbin.
www.espn.comHere’s the latest publicly reported status on Ben King as a free agent.
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Ben King’s contract status: He is under contract with the Gold Coast Suns through the 2026 season, after which he would reach the AFL’s free agency window. Several outlets in early 2026 reported that Gold Coast was prepared to re-sign or extend with King, while others noted he would become a free agent at the end of 2026 if no agreement was reached sooner. For context, King had previously signed extensions to stay with the Suns through 2026, keeping him in Gold Coast until free agency.[4][5]
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Interest from other clubs: Media chatter in early 2026 highlighted interest from multiple clubs in acquiring King should he reach free agency, with speculative talks about potential trades or signings depending on Suns’ willingness to match offers or navigate the national draft. Notably, discussions around whether he could move to clubs like Collingwood or others reflected the broader free-agent market dynamics at the time.[1][2][3][7]
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What to watch next: The key factor will be whether King re-signs with the Suns before his free-agent window opens, or whether he tests the market at the end of 2026. Updates often surface around the AFL’s trade period and surrounding February/March contract discussions, so monitoring Suns’ official announcements and credible AFL coverage in 2026 will provide the most reliable trajectory.[5][4]
Illustration: If you’re tracking this for fantasy or fan discussions, you could picture the timeline as:
- 2018–2023: Development arc at Suns
- 2024–2026: Under contract with Suns
- Post-2026: Free agency opens; potential market movement
If you want, I can assemble a concise timeline with exact dates and quotes from the most credible sources and format it as a quick-reference sheet.