“I’ve never told this story.”
When Australian football Legend Malcolm Blight leads with that sentence, you know you’re about to hear something interesting.
Speaking on SEN’s Whateley on Thursday, Blight mentioned his interest in the situation surrounding St Kilda forward Max King.
King in the last fortnight reached out to Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd to organise a goal kicking practice session. The two have an existing relationship dating back to junior footy days and the top 10 draft pick was coming off a few poor weeks in front of goal.
However, St Kilda came over the top and put a line through the idea, saying they didn’t want the young key forward having too many voices in his head, given the club employs premiership Hawk Jarryd Roughead as a goal kicking coach.
We’ll let Blight’s story take it from here.
“21 years ago in season 2000 I got a phone call from a young player. A pretty good young forward who was just having trouble getting the ball and I was in commentary at the time and he asked me whether I could spend some time with him and help him with his forward craft and goal kicking,” Blight said.
“And I did. I was in the media obviously. I met him in Melbourne, we went to a hotel room and we went through a whole host of things.
“I did ask him to go to his club and just make sure it was alright.
“The great Ron Barassi once said you not only use all the brains you’ve got, but you use all the brains you can borrow. Not anyone knows everything.
“So I was really pleased when Matthew Lloyd got that phone call from Max King, because you know who the young player was that rang me 21 years ago? Matthew Lloyd.
“I’ve never told this story. I don’t mean to embarrass him. The football boss at Essendon at the time said, ‘oh do you just want to make a headline?’.
“I said listen mate I don’t need a headline.
“So I’ve never told the story in 21 years. The reason why I’m telling it is that it was great that Matthew Lloyd tried to pass that on. Pass some of his wisdom on like I tried to do with him.
“For the life of me … for a club to think they know everything, I think is a folly.”
King and the Saints take on Sydney at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.