Scans have confirmed that Gold Coast star Ben King has torn his ACL.
The key forward went down in a marking contest at training, immediately clutching his knee.
It’s a shattering blow for the Suns and coach Stuart Dew, who are desperate to start climbing the ladder.
King kicked 47 goals in 22 games last season, breaking out as a reliable key forward.
The 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked to a return home to Victoria.
We will have to see what the flow-on affects are of this injury and what it means for the Suns, their future and any potential trade request.
David King fears for what losing King will mean for the Suns this season.
“Well it’s the one you couldn’t lose,” the premiership Roo said.
“It’s the one player they couldn’t enter 2022 without.
“If you look at the impact of the structural component of what he does, he’s the fifth most targeted player in the competition.
“Charlie Dixon, Harry McKay, Jack Riewoldt, Tom Hawkins and Ben King. He’s their go-to. He’s the one they drop the ball to and then everything happens around that.”
While King is worried about what this means for Stuart Dew, who comes out of contract at the end of this season, he also feels it creates an opportunity for him to prove his coaching talents.
“I fear for what this does to Stuart Dew at the coaching group,” King added.
“But crisis creates opportunity. Adam Simpson lost key defenders a few years ago and they cobbled together the West Coast Eagles web and they found a different way to defend.
“I’m just wondering whether Stuart can do that. They’re not going to have a logical replacement. 50-plus goal kickers don’t just fall out of trees.
“There’s opportunity for Dew to show us he’s a creative and innovative coach.”