Suns back battling forward Ben King to rediscover form

Gold Coast are backing struggling forward Ben King (r) to return to his best form. (Jason O'BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)

Gold Coast will persist with Ben King and are confident the key forward can rediscover his lethal best following a goal-less month.

The 23-year-old has been a shadow of himself during the last four games and was even subbed out against Port Adelaide three weeks ago - former Suns coach Stuart Dew's last match before he was sacked.

King missed all of the 2022 season after rupturing his ACL, but returned in outstanding form with 33 goals from his first 14 games this year.

But he is now in the worst slump of his 71-game career, having twice previously gone three-straight games without kicking a goal - in 2019 and 2021.

Interim Suns coach Steven King believes it is only a matter of time before the prized goal-kicker awakes from his slumber.

"You're not going to just keep projecting forward all the time, you're going to come up against some really good players. That's part of Benny's growth," Steven King told reporters on Wednesday.

"He's had some challenges already and faced some adversity which he's overcome, and this is just another little bump in the road which is going to make him stronger and more resilient.

"He'll get his way through this and come out the other side.

"We'll back him in. We'll give him some freedom to get up the ground and move up the ground and use his athleticism.

"I think that's something he's got an advantage over most other people of his height and size."

Gold Coast sit 14th on the ladder but remain a chance to play finals as they only sit a game-and-a-half outside of the top eight.

But the Suns host the Brisbane Lions on Saturday at Heritage Bank Stadium, having lost the lost the last nine QClashes against their south-east Queensland rivals.

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