Why Hayes believes Wilson will re-sign with Saints

St Kilda GM of footy Lenny Hayes insists the club does not have a timeline on Max King.

The key forward has again been cruelled by his body in 2026, suffering a hamstring injury in his VFL return in early May having not played at AFL level since 2024.

King recently received treatment in Queensland as he strives to return in season 2026 but Hayes says the Saints won’t be placing any unnecessary pressure on the 25-year-old.

“He just got back from the Gold Coast. He went up there for a bit of a circuit-breaker and worked with a renowned physio up there,” Hayes said of King on SEN Breakfast.

“He’s in a really good headspace and now he’ll go into a conditioning block.

“You get asked all the time, ‘What’s the timeframe?’. There isn’t really one at the moment. We’re just going to see how he’s progressing and how comfortable he is.

“I’ve got no doubt he can play a role for us in the back end of this year. But more importantly it’s about the future years. He’s a long-term player for us and a really important part of what we’re trying to do.”

“So we’ll just give him all the time and support he needs to get back and that’s the most important thing for us.”

The Saints, who beat the Giants by eight points last Sunday, take on the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium this Sunday.

Playing in that game will be Darcy Wilson who has been linked to North Melbourne and Geelong, among other clubs.

Wilson, who is enjoying a career-best campaign, is out of contract at the end of this season and is yet to re-sign with the Saints.

But Hayes has confidence that he will soon put pen to paper at Moorabbin.

“We’re pretty comfortable with where things are at with Darcy,” he said of the third-year Saint.

“He’s a really important young player for us and we’re hoping over the next little while that we might be able to get something done there.

“He’s having a great season and he’s part of that young core group that’s going to take the club forward. He’s really important to us.”

Tom Morris said on SEN a couple of weeks ago that there are more than six clubs showing interest in Wilson who could be holding out for a big-money offer.

Morris referenced Mattaes Phillipou's reported contract of around $1 million per season as one reason why Wilson might be looking around.

“It's big because of the pay packet that's being afforded to Mattaes Phillipou for 2027 and 2028, which is $1 million per year over the duration of that deal," Morris recently said on SEN's Fireball.

“Understandably, Darcy Wilson is probably looking at that going 'I probably deserve $1.2 (million)!' But, St Kilda doesn't have unlimited money, and there is a lot of interest in Darcy Wilson.

“More than half a dozen clubs have enquired around Darcy Wilson, including Geelong and North Melbourne.

“It's a crystal ball, so I think Geelong, but I think, more likely, he just leaves somewhere. I don't know where. St Kilda will have to pay him, and pay him a fair bit to keep him.”

One promising Saint out of the senior side right now is Phillipou who was dropped prior to the GWS clash.

Phillipou’s form has fluctuated over the first half of the year which is completely normal for a player in the infancy of his career, according to club legend Hayes.

“Mattaes is like any young player that’s going to go through fluctuations with their game when they’re young,” Hayes said of the 21-year-old.

“I think back to when I first came through I probably didn’t feel comfortable at the level as a midfielder until my fourth year. I was playing a bit of half-forward, playing a bit of mid and it just took me a while to build that confidence.

“I think we sometimes forget that Mattaes was the youngest player taken in his draft. He played every game in his first year, and in his second year he had a little stint back at the VFL and built out his craft as a midfielder. He came back in and played some really good games.

“Last year his season was pretty much ruined through injury so he’s really only a third-year player who is still developing his craft.

“He’s going to be a really good player, there’s no doubt about that. Like always at times we have to go back and find a bit of form, and I’ve no doubt he’s going to play an important role in the back end of the season and in the future for the Saints.”

Phillipou had 28 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 10 inside 50s and nine clearances in an impressive performance in the VFL against North Melbourne last weekend.

The Saints enter their Round 15 clash with the eighth-placed Doggies sitting in 10th spot with a 6-8 record. They’ve lost their past three to the Dogs by 72, 71 and 60 points.