A King has arrived: Melbourne announces new coach

Sean Dillon

A King has arrived: Melbourne announces new coach image

Melbourne has announced its new coach, with Geelong assistant coach Steven King to take the reins of the Demons.

The Demons sacked 2021 premiership coach Simon Goodwin in early August and have been on the search for a new coach since.

There was a selection panel made up of seven different members that the Demons aimed to select their new coach with King coming out on top.

King, who will continue as assistant coach for Geelong for the remainder of their finals campaign, said he was excited for the challenge.

MORE: Jake Stringer trolls Zach Merrett Essendon saga, deletes post

“Melbourne has a rich history, and I feel very humbled to be given this opportunity at one of the oldest professional sporting clubs in the world,” King said.

“I began my AFL career in 1996 and have experienced it all across the past 30 years. I’m excited to bring my experience to the club and see what we can achieve, together, from next season and beyond.

“I can’t wait to meet the playing group, my fellow coaches, the staff, and the Demon faithful, and start building towards 2026.”

Melbourne President Brad Green explained King will bring a lot of coaching experience with him.

“Steven brings an abundance of experience from across the league, having held coaching positions at St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, the Gold Coast SUNS and Geelong. I think it’s safe to say he was pretty impressive on the field, too.

“Steven has elite football IQ and a deep understanding of the game. He is highly competitive, places a strong focus on connection, and has a coaching philosophy we think our players will thrive under. During the appointment process, it became more and more clear that Steven was the ideal candidate for us.

“As a football club, we’re delighted to be entering this next chapter with Steven at the helm. We have no doubt he is the right person to lead us forward.”

The Demons missed the finals this year, finishing in 14th spot with seven wins and 16 losses.

Sean Dillon

Sean Dillon is a contributing Wires Writer at The Sporting News based in Sydney, Australia