The Saints haven’t given up hope of a King return in opening round – and a celebrity appearance

One of St Kilda’s greatest stars opens up about the frustration he feels for a key Saint, as Channel Seven revealed one of the club’s biggest supporters and a pop superstar could perform before the Sunday night opening round match. Meanwhile, the Suns will pay a price for Matt Rowell’s commitment to State of Origin. AFL BriefingSportAFLAFL 2026The Saints haven’t given up hope of a King return in opening round – and a celebrity appearanceBy Jon Pierik and Andrew Wu February 17, 2026 — 4.52pmSaveLog in, register or subscribe to save articles for later.Save articles for laterAdd articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.Got itNormal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisementIn today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:Could it be ‘King out, Sheeran in’ for Saints opening round blockbuster?Brownlow medallist Rowell ruled out of Cats clash.One of St Kilda’s greatest champions says his heart bleeds for Max King, as the Saints forward’s career continues to be derailed by injury.King, 25, did not play a game last year because of knee issues and last played a senior match in round 16, 2024. He was restricted to only 12 in that season, and 11 the season before.Luckless St Kilda searhead Max King.Credit: AFL PhotosThe luckless forward had knee surgery before Christmas, and is now battling a low-grade calf issue, leaving him in doubt for his club’s season opener next month against Collingwood, where the Saints are likely to field a team stacked with big-name recruits – including Tom de Koning, Jack Silvagni, Sam Flanders and Liam Ryan.Adding to the excitement those new Saints will generate, Channel Seven revealed on Tuesday there was a chance one of the club’s highest profile supporters, British pop star Ed Sheeran, would sing at the game. Sheeran is performing three sold-out shows at Marvel Stadium a week before the match.Club bosses hope the Sunday-night opening round clash between St Kilda and Collingwood at the MCG on March 8 will be a blockbuster, and it was Seven’s head of AFL Gary O’Keeffe who broached the possibility of a Sheeran performance.Ed Sheeran is bound for Melbourne and, perhaps, a performance at St Kilda’s season opener.Credit: Duncan barnesBut the pop star, like King, is not yet locked in for the game.Former Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt has sympathy for the frustration King – his blue-chip successor in front of goal – must be feeling.Advertisement“Obviously, I have a really keen eye on Max. My heart has just ached for him over the last couple of years,” Riewoldt, now a prominent commentator, said at Seven’s AFL season launch on Tuesday.Loading“I played my entire career with a compromised knee, so I understand the struggle. I just hope it’s go-time for him, and he gets that level of continuity that he needs because it’s really hard to become the player you want to be without continuity. I hope he gets that this year.”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.“I have got my fingers crossed for him,” Riewoldt said.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.LoadingRiewoldt is a fan of the club’s bold recruiting spree.“I 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,” he said.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.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.“What 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,” Riewoldt said.“This 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.“He is still building his game, but I am excited about what he can do in the next 10 [years].”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.“A 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,” Riewoldt said.“I think it will be more the eye test – 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.”Suns gun the latest Origin casualtyAndrew WuBrownlow medallist Matt Rowell will miss the start of the season as the injury toll from State of Or