Gold Coast Suns key forward Ben King is set to depart the club to join the Hawthorn Hawks for the 2027 season. The move marks a significant contract backflip for the 26-year-old key forward, who had previously expressed his intention to remain in Queensland despite intense interest from Victorian clubs.
The decision to leave Gold Coast represents one of the most dramatic contract backflips in recent AFL history. King is expected to sign a six-year deal with Hawthorn that would keep him at the club until the end of 2032. While the Suns have not yet received official notification of his intention to leave, three industry sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity because discussions remain confidential, have confirmed King’s position has shifted significantly in recent weeks, placing Hawthorn in the box seat to secure the premier key forward.
Factors Driving the Move to Hawthorn
King’s shift in position comes barely two months after he told The Age he intended to remain on the Gold Coast, insisting he loved the club and saw his future in Queensland. Several factors have contributed to his dramatic reversal. His partner is keen to return home to Victoria, while Gold Coast’s alarming on-field slide has also weighed heavily. The Suns have now lost eight consecutive matches after appearing well-placed to challenge for a second-consecutive finals campaign earlier this season.
King’s own form has only enhanced his value. The powerful key forward sits second in the Coleman Medal race and has established himself as one of the AFL’s most reliable goalkickers, kicking at least 40 goals in every completed season since 2021. Last year he produced a career-best campaign with 71 goals, underlining why Hawthorn has been prepared to aggressively pursue his signature.
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List Management and the Trade Period
The potential acquisition of King creates a complex list-management scenario for Hawthorn. The club must now determine how to integrate King into a forward line that already features Mitch Lewis. Lewis, who reminded the competition of his quality with a five-goal performance on the weekend, is also out of contract and now faces an uncertain future. Lewis has battled injury over the past two seasons but remains one of the league’s most talented key-position forwards when fit. Whether Hawthorn believes they can accommodate both King and Lewis in the same forward line, or whether King’s impending arrival accelerates Lewis’ departure, looms as one of the major questions heading into the trade and free-agency period.
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For Gold Coast, the loss of a home-grown marquee player after years of investment would be another devastating retention blow. The Suns have long viewed King as a cornerstone of their future, but after months of confidence they would secure his signature, they are now confronting the prospect of watching one of the competition’s elite key forwards walk out the door. As King is a restricted free agent, Gold Coast has the power to match the bid and force a trade. However, given the Suns’ disastrous form slump has now landed them 14th on the ladder, the Queensland club could opt to accept first-round compensation, which, if the season finished now, would be pick No. 6.
Hawthorn’s Strategic Recruitment
The Hawks have invested heavily in assembling one of the AFL’s youngest and most exciting lists under Sam Mitchell, and adding a proven goal-kicking machine entering the prime of his career would significantly strengthen their premiership aspirations. The Hawks would much prefer to land King without a trade, given they are also in the box seat to land Essendon’s Zach Merrett, who will once again request a move to Hawthorn despite a failed move last year.
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King will be in Melbourne this week ahead of the Suns’ game against Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday. King’s management has been contacted for comment, while the club awaits official notice of his intention to leave.