Gold Coast has confirmed that Ben King will leave the club during the upcoming off-season, ending weeks of speculation about the key forward's future. The 26-year-old, who has booted 315 goals in 143 games for the Suns, is widely expected to nominate Hawthorn as his club of choice, though his official destination has not yet been confirmed.
The club released a statement saying King has informed them of his intention to explore his options as a restricted free agent during the upcoming free agency period, which opens on Friday, October 2. The statement also noted that King has not advised the club of a desire to join a particular team, and that Gold Coast retains the right to match any offer made to him by another club.
King's departure was sealed after an emotional final appearance for the Suns in their Round 24 victory over St Kilda last Thursday night. The Melbourne-born forward was seen in tears in the rooms following the match, and admitted to Channel 7 that it may have been his last game in Gold Coast colours. "Yeah obviously it's time to work through that now," King said. "To be honest, I've been just trying to get through game to game and trying to get some wins on the board and finish off properly. Obviously there's a bit to work through there. I'm sure that'll happen when it happens. But so proud of this group and I've absolutely loved playing with these boys."
Coach Damien Hardwick also addressed the situation post-match, acknowledging the uncertainty around King's future. "That's free agency, that's what our game is, and yeah, we have the last right of refusal so that's obviously something that we'll consider," Hardwick said. "He was obviously quite emotional so yeah, might possibly be his last game. We're not quite exactly sure."
The Suns have options to either match any rival offer and force a trade, or accept a compensation pick. If the deal for King generates Band One compensation, Gold Coast would receive Pick 7 in the draft. The Hawks are believed to have tabled a six-year contract for King, who was originally tipped to stay at the Suns on a two-year deal before the narrative shifted mid-season.
King's move follows a wave of player departures across the league. Port Adelaide free agent Zak Butters has confirmed he will leave the Power at the end of the season, while GWS veteran Jake Stringer also announced on Monday that he will return to Victoria for family reasons.