MELBOURNE’s new AFL senior coach has made his first address to media on Monday morning.
Steven King was announced as the candidate to take on the head coaching role for the Dees' AFL team on Friday afternoon, coming across to the red and blue after nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, as both a player and an assistant coach.
King joined media, staff and players on Monday and addressed the selection process, his coaching mentors, his hopes of the team moving forward and what Dees fans expect of the game plan in 2026.
ON THE SELECTION PROCESS
“What a wonderful privilege it is to be given this opportunity. I'm extremely humbled and really grateful, but also super excited to get started,” King said.
“During the selection process, I had the chance to really reflect on my journey and get greater clarity about myself.
“Throughout the process, I just wanted to be authentically me and it became clear that that's what the Melbourne Football Club wanted as well.
“Without sounding full of myself, I just feel like I bring a unique experience and skill set that people want to be around.
“I want my players to drive to work every day with a massive smile on their face, knowing they're going to be stimulated, have a lot of fun, but be challenged as well.
“I want to play a brand of footy that's uniquely Melbourne, and I feel like I can adapt that to the skill set that our players have got.”
ON THE GAME PLAN
“I really admire what the club's done in the past,” King said.
“I know the physicality and the aggression that the players have. I just want them to play with a bit more freedom with ball in hand.
“Without getting into too much detail, I feel really privileged to walk into a club that has a terrific foundation, with the way they compete at the contest, their stoppage structure and the way they defend.
“I just want to give the players a bit more ownership to play with freedom, take what the game gives them and really get after it.”
ON CONNECTING WITH PLAYERS
"I wouldn't just [connect] with the senior group, I'm as keen to meet the first and second year players as I am the 15-year veterans,” King said.
"For me, that's a big part, but with an understanding that they’re on their break as well and really respecting that. I don't want to force people out of their break right now to come and meet me.
I'll work around them, and when the time is right, I'll make sure I spend a lot of time with everyone.”
ON FINALS EXPECTATIONS
"For me, it’s an expectation,” King said.
“I feel like every staff member, every player should expect to play finals next year and I'd be really disappointed if that wasn't an expectation.
“There are no guarantees in footy, I'm aware of that, but if you don't expect something, you won't get it, so you have to get after it.
“I'm a firm believer in visualising what you want to get at, go chase it and make everyone else catch up with you.”
ON HIS COACHING INSPIRATIONS
"I think they’ve taught me about discipline and hard work, what it takes to be a coach at this level as an assistant, but also as a senior coach,” King said.
"Luke Beveridge gave me the encouragement around being authentic to yourself and how important that is. You don't have to be a certain type of person to be a senior coach.
“Then coming back to Geelong…seeing that environment and the way Chris [Scott] goes about empowering his staff and players, having a high trust organisation that allows people to do their jobs and have trust in that, footy has shifted that way now.
“When you get the right people in, you put the right things in place and players and staff can just go about their business in a high trust environment.
“This ultimately leads to flexibility, it leads to a workplace where people thrive to want to be themselves and get the best out of themselves and others.”
