Max King daring to dream of Ashes tour if Blues clinch Origin series
'It's far down the road,' King said of the Ashes series. 'I don't really want to think about it too much.
'Obviously, there's the Origin series and there's a whole lot of clubland.
'Representing Australia would just cap off the year. I don't want to say a dream come true because my dreams have already come true.
'It would be another one to tick off the box for sure.'
King's 82-year-old grandfather was a St George legend who scored tries in six successive grand final victories between 1960-65, and represented Australia in 15 Tests, six of which were during the 1967-68 tour of England and France.
As a youngster growing up in Maitland, King listened on in awe whenever Johnny relived anecdotes of a career that earned him induction into the rugby league Hall of Fame in 2008.
'Back in those days, they [the Kangaroos] went over for three months … my Nan and Pop had my auntie a day before they headed over,' he said.
'She gave birth and then he went over for three months. So I'm sure Nan wasn't too impressed. But yeah, plenty of stories there.'
King is eligible to play for England after being born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, in 1997. His father, former Gold Coast forward David King, spent more than a decade playing professionally in the Old Dart.
Max's mother is English, and he expressed interest in playing for the Lions at the 2022 World Cup but was not required.
'I thought I might have been a chance,' he said.
'There's a lot of great players in England. I was never filthy about missing out.
'Growing up as a kid in Australia, I don't think anyone grows up without wanting to play Origin or for Australia.
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'I'm definitely glad the way things have turned out. To be here representing my state, it couldn't have worked out better.'
King said he called his grandparents from the Suncorp Stadium dressing rooms after the Origin I victory.
'They just said that they love me and are proud of me,' he said. 'It's so cool to ride this journey. It's not just my journey, it's my family's journey.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
This suburban club has produced seven AFL players in 18 months, but that's not what it's most proud of
In its past 31 games since the 2023 VFL grand final, Werribee have had seven players drafted to the AFL. It's a staggering strike rate, born of the most basic principles. 'This is like a country local footy club that plays at a higher level,' says coach Jimmy Allan, who hails from down the road at Lara and played for Werribee in the early 2000s before a storied SANFL career. His assistant Kyle Hartigan hits another note. 'We're a community club – we wouldn't have this without them,' he says, crediting not just the people of Werribee but sprawling Wyndham City, the fastest-growing municipality in Australia. Michael Barlow, poster boy for late-bloomers who was drafted to Fremantle from Werribee in 2010, needs no prompting to join the chorus. 'The Werribee Football Club has been the most important organisation in my life.' If community, connection and care underpin Werribee, the product of the 1965 amalgamation of four local clubs also boasts an asset almost as constant as the ancient river red gums that flank its Chirnside Park home. Mark Penaluna, in his 22nd year as CEO, is the heartbeat of the club. 'Anyone who has been associated with local footy, we're just an extension of that, we're just talking bigger numbers,' Penaluna says. To be a community club, he reckons, means leaving your ego at the door. 'We understand we're not just here to win a game of footy, this is something people look forward to each week – training, games, sharing the wins and losses.' Every footballer starts at a local club, where much is done by few. When they arrive at Werribee, it's made clear that everyone – from the office to maintenance to the property steward – makes up the club. 'If you see a broom and the floor's dirty, the expectation is you pick the broom up, give it a sweep, and make it clean for the next person.' Many people whose lives are enriched here never lace a football boot. Wyndham Community Education runs eight English classes each week, making the club an early connection point for new arrivals to the area. On Sundays, Anglican followers of Sojourners Church gather for services held by pastor Andrew Seedhom, who is also club chaplain. Loading On game days, Penaluna spends half an hour on the gate before Seedhom relieves him, greeting players' families and Werribee's fans. Everyone is included in successes little and large, from office staff to sponsors to the volunteers who keep the wheels of community clubs turning. For Penaluna, football and its importance to community are ingrained. His father captain-coached Port Melbourne Colts. As a five-year-old, he had two game-day jobs: listen to the opposition coach's address and report back; and in quarters played with no added time, stand behind the goals and get the ball back to the umpires ASAP if the Colts were trailing. 'And if we were in front, kick the hell out of it the other way.' He ran the Western Region league for five years before arriving at Werribee in 2003. His first game-day task was helping volunteers George and Jimmy drag the barbecue out of the showers under the old grandstand, so the umpires could get changed. There was no canteen; the barbie was a major source of income. 'We had one desktop computer, and if it rained we had to put bubble wrap over it because there was a hole in the roof and possums living up there.' His staff consisted of one part-time venue manager. The club's 2025 season guide lists Penaluna as one of 28 employees. More people work in community roles than once worked for the entire club. Welfare manager Damien Frankling has been around since 2008, chaplain Seedhom for the past four years. 'Having those constants helps enormously, honest conversations and all that stuff,' Penaluna says. Facilities help. In 2008, the club went to council with a proposed upgrade that had cost close to $12 million upon completion a decade later. Income is drawn from Wyndham entertainment venues, with $300,000 put back into the community annually, including sponsoring every football club in the municipality. 'We agreed with council that we'll continue to provide these programs and extend them, and make sure we only charge community organisation rates not commercial,' Penaluna says. Werribee has been a 'standalone' VFL club since 2018, after affiliations with Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne. The latter endures through the North Melbourne Werribee Kangaroos in the VFLW and 'The Huddle', which has delivered programs to more than 50,000 young people since 2016 to strengthen education and employment outcomes. For Barlow, who coached the Bees to runners-up in 2023 before Allan brought home the club's second premiership last year, being standalone is crucial to success. In training together throughout summer, bonds and trust are built and players improve by challenging each other. Playing every home game at a different venue – from Wangaratta to Torquay – during the 2017 renovations fostered an 'anyone, anywhere, anytime' zeal. 'If they weren't standalone, some of the guys I played with just wouldn't play,' Barlow says. 'They'd go and try and find connection and community and togetherness at a local club.' He regards Shaun Mannagh, drafted by Geelong in 2023 aged 25, as 'the most club-oriented person I've met in football'. Loading With VFL rivals Williamstown and Port Melbourne to the east and Geelong to the west, Werribee must be creative in their recruiting. There are enough Geelong-based players to warrant a van (they spin a key to see who drives), while leagues to the north like Ballarat, Ovens and Murray and Goulburn Valley produce players who fuel the country vibe. Allan chuckles at the notion that developing footballers so well surely equates to a queue of Werribee wannabes stretching along Watton St. Even in a competitive market, he doesn't use recent draft success as a carrot. 'I would never say, 'Come here and we'll get you drafted.' If a club thinks they need them on their list they'll find a way. Our job is to help them be the best player and best person they can be. I know it's a cliche, but we're genuinely invested in doing that. 'With the five who've gone [to AFL clubs] in my time here, not once did they ask, 'What do I need to do to get drafted?' Their questions were around, 'What can I do to help our team be the best we can be?' It's about playing your role and doing it better than anybody else. That's why these guys are getting a chance.' Smiling again, Allan adds, 'We're big on cliches.' Hartigan's story offers a compelling blueprint. Overlooked as an 18-year-old after trying to be something he wasn't, he spent three years at Werribee 'and just went back to what I was good at, which was nullifying opponents'. Eventually, Adelaide identified a need in defence, 'and I was in the right place, right time, playing my role'. He played 135 games for the Crows and Hawthorn. The cliche won out. Barlow, whose introduction to the local community after signing to play in 2008 featured a walk through town in 37-degree heat wearing the mascot's tiger suit, praises the role on-field leaders have longed played. Initially it was the likes of Dom Gleeson, James Podsiadly, Teghan Henderson, and upon his post-AFL return Michael Sodomaco, Nick Coughlan, Tom Gribble. Of today's crop, Dom Brew's great frustration at being overlooked time and again is matched internally by gratitude for what he does for his teammates. 'Knocked back draft after draft, and he keeps turning up,' Hartigan says. 'He drives standards really hard.' All are quick to note the club isn't just producing players. Barlow's football journey moved to North Melbourne last season, where he is head of development. Melbourne Storm's chief medico Rebecca Beaton was club doctor for six years. The Brisbane Lions' VFL coach Ben Hudson vaulted from Werribee to Adelaide aged 24. Former fitness coach Johann Billsborough runs health and performance for the Dallas Mavericks. Analysts, psychologists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, even a ticketing coordinator have been prepped for bigger things. Alastair Clarkson's first senior coaching post was with Werribee in 2000. ' Flynn Young has gone to Carlton [in the mid-season draft], he'll have been greeted by three ex-Werribee people who work there now,' Penaluna says. 'There's two at North where Zac Banch has walked into.' Loading This production line can be problematic. Banch's first VFL game for North Melbourne last weekend happened to be back at Chirnside Park; he kicked three. Werribee, with fresh holes to fill, have slipped to 12th midway through their premiership defence. 'If the worst thing that happens is you lose guys to a higher lever, it's not a bad position to be in,' Allan says. 'Seeing how happy they are to get a crack at their dream offsets any frustration you have of losing them.'
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
This suburban club has produced seven AFL players in 18 months, but that's not what it's most proud of
In its past 31 games since the 2023 VFL grand final, Werribee have had seven players drafted to the AFL. It's a staggering strike rate, born of the most basic principles. 'This is like a country local footy club that plays at a higher level,' says coach Jimmy Allan, who hails from down the road at Lara and played for Werribee in the early 2000s before a storied SANFL career. His assistant Kyle Hartigan hits another note. 'We're a community club – we wouldn't have this without them,' he says, crediting not just the people of Werribee but sprawling Wyndham City, the fastest-growing municipality in Australia. Michael Barlow, poster boy for late-bloomers who was drafted to Fremantle from Werribee in 2010, needs no prompting to join the chorus. 'The Werribee Football Club has been the most important organisation in my life.' If community, connection and care underpin Werribee, the product of the 1965 amalgamation of four local clubs also boasts an asset almost as constant as the ancient river red gums that flank its Chirnside Park home. Mark Penaluna, in his 22nd year as CEO, is the heartbeat of the club. 'Anyone who has been associated with local footy, we're just an extension of that, we're just talking bigger numbers,' Penaluna says. To be a community club, he reckons, means leaving your ego at the door. 'We understand we're not just here to win a game of footy, this is something people look forward to each week – training, games, sharing the wins and losses.' Every footballer starts at a local club, where much is done by few. When they arrive at Werribee, it's made clear that everyone – from the office to maintenance to the property steward – makes up the club. 'If you see a broom and the floor's dirty, the expectation is you pick the broom up, give it a sweep, and make it clean for the next person.' Many people whose lives are enriched here never lace a football boot. Wyndham Community Education runs eight English classes each week, making the club an early connection point for new arrivals to the area. On Sundays, Anglican followers of Sojourners Church gather for services held by pastor Andrew Seedhom, who is also club chaplain. Loading On game days, Penaluna spends half an hour on the gate before Seedhom relieves him, greeting players' families and Werribee's fans. Everyone is included in successes little and large, from office staff to sponsors to the volunteers who keep the wheels of community clubs turning. For Penaluna, football and its importance to community are ingrained. His father captain-coached Port Melbourne Colts. As a five-year-old, he had two game-day jobs: listen to the opposition coach's address and report back; and in quarters played with no added time, stand behind the goals and get the ball back to the umpires ASAP if the Colts were trailing. 'And if we were in front, kick the hell out of it the other way.' He ran the Western Region league for five years before arriving at Werribee in 2003. His first game-day task was helping volunteers George and Jimmy drag the barbecue out of the showers under the old grandstand, so the umpires could get changed. There was no canteen; the barbie was a major source of income. 'We had one desktop computer, and if it rained we had to put bubble wrap over it because there was a hole in the roof and possums living up there.' His staff consisted of one part-time venue manager. The club's 2025 season guide lists Penaluna as one of 28 employees. More people work in community roles than once worked for the entire club. Welfare manager Damien Frankling has been around since 2008, chaplain Seedhom for the past four years. 'Having those constants helps enormously, honest conversations and all that stuff,' Penaluna says. Facilities help. In 2008, the club went to council with a proposed upgrade that had cost close to $12 million upon completion a decade later. Income is drawn from Wyndham entertainment venues, with $300,000 put back into the community annually, including sponsoring every football club in the municipality. 'We agreed with council that we'll continue to provide these programs and extend them, and make sure we only charge community organisation rates not commercial,' Penaluna says. Werribee has been a 'standalone' VFL club since 2018, after affiliations with Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne. The latter endures through the North Melbourne Werribee Kangaroos in the VFLW and 'The Huddle', which has delivered programs to more than 50,000 young people since 2016 to strengthen education and employment outcomes. For Barlow, who coached the Bees to runners-up in 2023 before Allan brought home the club's second premiership last year, being standalone is crucial to success. In training together throughout summer, bonds and trust are built and players improve by challenging each other. Playing every home game at a different venue – from Wangaratta to Torquay – during the 2017 renovations fostered an 'anyone, anywhere, anytime' zeal. 'If they weren't standalone, some of the guys I played with just wouldn't play,' Barlow says. 'They'd go and try and find connection and community and togetherness at a local club.' He regards Shaun Mannagh, drafted by Geelong in 2023 aged 25, as 'the most club-oriented person I've met in football'. Loading With VFL rivals Williamstown and Port Melbourne to the east and Geelong to the west, Werribee must be creative in their recruiting. There are enough Geelong-based players to warrant a van (they spin a key to see who drives), while leagues to the north like Ballarat, Ovens and Murray and Goulburn Valley produce players who fuel the country vibe. Allan chuckles at the notion that developing footballers so well surely equates to a queue of Werribee wannabes stretching along Watton St. Even in a competitive market, he doesn't use recent draft success as a carrot. 'I would never say, 'Come here and we'll get you drafted.' If a club thinks they need them on their list they'll find a way. Our job is to help them be the best player and best person they can be. I know it's a cliche, but we're genuinely invested in doing that. 'With the five who've gone [to AFL clubs] in my time here, not once did they ask, 'What do I need to do to get drafted?' Their questions were around, 'What can I do to help our team be the best we can be?' It's about playing your role and doing it better than anybody else. That's why these guys are getting a chance.' Smiling again, Allan adds, 'We're big on cliches.' Hartigan's story offers a compelling blueprint. Overlooked as an 18-year-old after trying to be something he wasn't, he spent three years at Werribee 'and just went back to what I was good at, which was nullifying opponents'. Eventually, Adelaide identified a need in defence, 'and I was in the right place, right time, playing my role'. He played 135 games for the Crows and Hawthorn. The cliche won out. Barlow, whose introduction to the local community after signing to play in 2008 featured a walk through town in 37-degree heat wearing the mascot's tiger suit, praises the role on-field leaders have longed played. Initially it was the likes of Dom Gleeson, James Podsiadly, Teghan Henderson, and upon his post-AFL return Michael Sodomaco, Nick Coughlan, Tom Gribble. Of today's crop, Dom Brew's great frustration at being overlooked time and again is matched internally by gratitude for what he does for his teammates. 'Knocked back draft after draft, and he keeps turning up,' Hartigan says. 'He drives standards really hard.' All are quick to note the club isn't just producing players. Barlow's football journey moved to North Melbourne last season, where he is head of development. Melbourne Storm's chief medico Rebecca Beaton was club doctor for six years. The Brisbane Lions' VFL coach Ben Hudson vaulted from Werribee to Adelaide aged 24. Former fitness coach Johann Billsborough runs health and performance for the Dallas Mavericks. Analysts, psychologists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, even a ticketing coordinator have been prepped for bigger things. Alastair Clarkson's first senior coaching post was with Werribee in 2000. ' Flynn Young has gone to Carlton [in the mid-season draft], he'll have been greeted by three ex-Werribee people who work there now,' Penaluna says. 'There's two at North where Zac Banch has walked into.' Loading This production line can be problematic. Banch's first VFL game for North Melbourne last weekend happened to be back at Chirnside Park; he kicked three. Werribee, with fresh holes to fill, have slipped to 12th midway through their premiership defence. 'If the worst thing that happens is you lose guys to a higher lever, it's not a bad position to be in,' Allan says. 'Seeing how happy they are to get a crack at their dream offsets any frustration you have of losing them.'
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Labuschagne facing the axe as Australia's fragile batters leave door open for South Africa
London: If this game has been the ultimate Test, as billed by its promoters, then Australia's increasingly fragile batting lineup has largely failed its questions. Hoping to settle their top six ahead of the Ashes at home this summer, the national selectors – all of them in attendance at Lord's this week – have a long list of fresh queries about how to produce the runs required to keep winning games. Pat Cummins, who now has 300 wickets in Tests, will back his men to outbowl South Africa here in the final innings to seize back-to-back world test championship titles. The game is in fast-forward, but Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (16 not out) fought through the final hour on day two to be 8-144 at stumps. But the magnificent pace and spin ensemble led by the captain, alongside Josh Hazlewood, Starc and Nathan Lyon with Scott Boland in reserve, should not be having to go back to the well this often. CricViz has the Proteas narrow favourites: 51 per cent to 49, with the Australians leading by 218 overall. 'Ideally we'd probably have a few more wickets in the shed,' Cummins said. 'But the trend of the game is it's still pretty difficult out there, so it's set up pretty well for a day three finish you'd imagine tomorrow, but we're going to have to bowl well.' Usman Khawaja (zero and six) and Cameron Green (four and zero) were taken apart by the formidable Kagiso Rabada in both innings, succumbing to quality seam bowling at high pace. That is no disgrace in itself, but top order players need to be able to handle those difficulties more often than not, at least for long enough to ease a path for the middle order. At 38, Khawaja's skills have lately been stretched by the top echelon of pace bowlers: Mark Wood in England in 2023, Jasprit Bumrah last summer, and Rabada here. A double century in Sri Lanka was made in between, but conditions at Lord's have been far closer to those of Australia than Galle was or the West Indies will be. Slotted back into the side before he was ready to bowl again, Green can be a somewhat iffy starter, when roles in the top three require precision against the new ball. His runs for Gloucestershire were characterised by some struggles early before he was fully dialled in at the crease, and Test class attacks won't give him the latitude of the county second division.
