ESSENDON great Matthew Lloyd has warned St Kilda to be wary of throwing everything into the Ben King basket.

Lloyd, who coached twin brothers Ben and Max King at Haileybury College, says he's never seen two 202cm forwards work in the same forward line.

While Max is contracted with the Saints until the end of 2026, Ben has just 12 months remaining on his deal with Gold Coast.

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"They both want to be forwards," Lloyd said on Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio.

"The last thing any of those two want is to play at centre half-back, and I just wonder whether one of them would have to go there - more so Ben - because some days it wouldn’t work.

"I love that they've formed their own identities at their own clubs, rather than being heaped in the same basket as the King brothers."

Ben played centre half-back for Victoria Metro at under-18 level and Sandringham in the TAC Cup, but has starred as a forward in the AFL, coming off a breakout 47-goal season in 2021.

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Lloyd said St Kilda's main area to improve was its midfield, rather than finding another partner for Max in the forward line.

"After Jack Steele, who is the next best midfielder at St Kilda? It drops a fair bit. I think that is their biggest area (of concern)."