callum wilkie goes into Saturday night as the competition’s number one interceptor with 85 intercepts, and St Kilda is asking him to handle Gold Coast spearhead Ben King at TIO Stadium in Darwin. David King has put the St Kilda co-captain in the gun for a matchup that sits at the center of a game described as crucial for both seasons.
On SEN Breakfast, David King said Wilkie has to win the battle if St Kilda want to be where they say they want to be. “If St Kilda want to be the team that they aspire to be, Cal Wilkie has to get the job done on Ben King.”
Ben King at TIO Stadium
Ben King has already kicked 28 goals this year, and that total towers over Gold Coast’s next-highest scorer, Christian Petracca, on 12. David King also pointed to the Suns forward’s recent record at TIO Stadium, where he has kicked 2.1, 3.3, 4.1, and 3.1 in his last four games there.
That gives St Kilda a clear task on the night. Wilkie, a key defender and the club’s co-captain, could line up against King at stages on Saturday, with the Suns forward carrying the scoring load and Gold Coast’s support cast lagging well behind him.
Wilkie’s intercept edge
Wilkie’s own form is the reason the matchup has such weight. He has been in stellar touch through the 2025 campaign and has produced a season-high 85 intercepts, a total that leaves him first in the competition.
David King framed it as a direct challenge. “Wilkie's the number one interceptor in the competition, get the job done!” he said, then added: “Cal Wilkie, if you want to lead this club, get the job done.”
The numbers also sharpen the pressure point. In his last four games against St Kilda, Ben King has kicked 2.1, 2.0, 0.2, and 1.1, so this is not just a reputation battle but a repeat test with recent form attached to it. Gold Coast and St Kilda kick off at 7:10pm AEST at TIO Stadium, and the matchup will go a long way toward deciding whether Wilkie can turn his intercept season into the kind of defensive night St Kilda needs.
