Cornes can’t understand St Kilda’s push to hand Max King a massive new deal

St Kilda forward Max King is on the verge of signing a monster new deal according to Seven’s Mitch Cleary.

While he’s already contracted until the end of the 2026 season, Cleary says that the 24-year-old is set to add another six years onto his deal, securing him at Moorabbin until the end of the 2032 campaign.

In response to that report, Kane Cornes simply couldn’t understand the club’s thinking behind the move given he’s already contracted for the next two years.

Cornes also thinks that there are unanswered questions on both sides of the deal, both from the King camp and the Saints themselves after the talented forward struggled at times in 2024, kicking 19 goals from 12 games at an average of 1.6 goals per appearance.

In 2022 and 2023 respectively, King averaged 2.5 and 2.6 majors per game.

“Max King, according to Mitch Cleary on Channel Seven is set to sign a six-year contract extension, taking him through until the end of 2032,” Cornes said on SEN Sportsday.

“He is currently signed already until the end of 2026. My take on this is not unique, it’s the view I’ve held for a long time.

“Why do they need to extend him by six years now, when he's already got two years left?

“I think there's a lot of unanswered questions, both on Max's side and on the Saints’ side before you are ready to commit for eight years for a player like this who is already contracted for another two seasons.

“Why not address this halfway through 2026 and just see how things are going with his body with his form and with where the Saints are at it?

“I don't understand it. I'm not sure even though it gets him past free agency and all that.”

If King signs on until 2032, he’ll join Sam Taylor, Connor Rozee and Aaron Naughton as players with the longest-term deals in the AFL.