"Elite football IQ": Demons appoint new head coach

Melbourne has appointed Geelong assistant coach Steven King as the club's new senior coach.

The 46-year-old, who played 240 AFL games across a 15-year stint at Geelong and St Kilda, was an assistant and caretaker coach at the Gold Coast Suns in 2022 and the current Geelong midfield coach, becomes the 28th senior coach at Melbourne.

Breaking the news on SEN, Gerard Whateley said: "Steven King is the new Melbourne coach and will be unveiled this afternoon.

"Melbourne offered him the job today and he has accepted.

"Having coached Gold Coast as the interim after (Stuart) Dew was gone, having been in the West Coast process last year and building his reputation further with Geelong, King gets his crack at permanency.

"The unsuccessful candidates have been told in the last hour."

King replaces Simon Goodwin who was sacked at the start of August after an underwhelming season which saw the Demons miss out on finals and finish 14th with just seven wins to their name.

With Geelong's season very much alive, King will remain with the Cats through their finals campaign.

In a statement released by Melbourne shortly after the news broke, King said: “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.

“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.”

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley was considered a front runner for the gig but Whateley explained that the timing had not worked out.

"Nathan Buckley's presence was a curiosity all along as Bucks was interviewing Melbourne as much as they were interviewing him," he said. "Right at the end, he couldn't answer the question if they offered him the job would he take it and I know Tasmania plays a role in that somewhere.

"With Tasmania probably furthering their cause to nail down Buckley as the inaugural coach, I think that clouded the timing. Melbourne wanted to bring it to conclusion today and that didn't marry up with Buckley's discussions with Tasmania."

Delighted to have come to a decision just three days into the interview process, Demons President Brad Green said: “We are incredibly excited to welcome Steven as the new senior coach of our AFL program, on what is a significant day for our club.

“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.”

Geelong have also congratulated King on his new role. In a statement, the Cats' Executive General Manager of Football Andrew Mackie announced his excitement for the 46-year-old.

“We are thrilled to see Steven get this opportunity to become a senior coach. Steven’s coaching career and development has been influenced by many across the industry, and we congratulate him on his appointment,” Mackie said.

“Steven has had a significant impact on the Club in his playing and coaching roles. He is an excellent coach and our players have benefited from his experience and knowledge over the last two seasons.