Loading
Two sources with knowledge of the appointment confirmed that King would be given a three-year contract.
Guerra said King had been part of successful programs at Geelong (as player and coach), at St Kilda (under Ross Lyon), and with the Western Bulldogs when they won the 2016 premiership.
Asked how King matched Melbourne’s needs as a football club, Guerra said: “How do we be competitive and stay competitive.”
The new Melbourne CEO described the Demons’s aspirations: “We want to get competitive really quickly and then hopefully contending (for the premiership) in the not too distant future.”
The panel that settled on King included current and future presidents Brad Green and Steven Smith, Guerra, football general manager Alan Richardson, ex-Essendon skipper Jobe Watson and Melbourne Storm executive Frank Ponissi.
Guerra cited Adelaide’s rise from 15th to minor premiers as an example of how teams could make rapid progress.
King had a taste of senior coaching, having coached Gold Coast Suns on an interim basis, for seven games, after Stuart Dew was axed in 2023.
He replaces 2021 premiership coach Simon Goodwin, who was sacked with a year remaining on his contract last month.
King intends to coach out the season with the Cats, who are through to next weekend’s preliminary finals.
Loading
In a statement, Melbourne highlighted King’s elite football intelligence and how he had emerged
“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,” said Demons president Brad Green.
“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.”
King played in Geelong’s drought-breaking 2007 flag before moving to St Kilda, where he played for three years including in the losing 2009 grand final.
Loading
He remained at Moorabbin as an assistant coach before continuing his apprenticeship at the Bulldogs, where he was part of the coaching panel that steered the Dogs to the extraordinary 2016 premiership.
He moved to the Suns in 2023.
“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,” King said in a statement.
“I can’t wait to meet the playing group, my fellow coaches, the staff, and the Demon faithful, and start building towards 2026.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
