Coleman Medal contender King confirms trade request to Hawks
Gold Coast full-forward Ben King has asked to move to Hawthorn as a restricted free agent.
Gold Coast full-forward Ben King has confirmed his move to Hawthorn, ending months of uncertainty about where the 60-goal Coleman Medal contender would play. King was a restricted free agent and his manager officially told the Suns last week he wanted to join the Hawks.
Hawthorn has tabled contract terms, hoping Gold Coast will reject them and accept draft pick seven as compensation rather than force a trade. Gold Coast warned all year they would match any offer and demand a trade, but their slide down the ladder means the pick seven is earlier than expected, making it attractive compensation.
If Gold Coast accept the pick, Hawthorn keeps their first-round draft pick and could use it to trade for former Essendon captain Zach Merrett.
- 60 goals
- Coleman Medal goals
- Pick seven
- Draft compensation
- Hawthorn
- Destination club
Why it mattersKing's departure significantly weakens Gold Coast's forward line and gives Hawthorn a goal kicker to boost their rebuild.
AustraliaAn AFL star's move reshapes two clubs' attacking lineups and affects the Hawks' draft strategy heading into the off-season trade period.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 d ago
