MATCH REPORT: Port Adelaide hands Richmond finals pasting
The man coach Damien Hardwick said was "crucial to the fabric of Punt Rd" was part of radio station SEN's call at Adelaide Oval.
The 30-year-old retired midway through the season after he couldn't break into the senior team.
But ironically, the Tigers severely lacked the sort of hostile play that characterised King's career during their elimination final meltdown.
"You get that sickening feeling in the stomach. After competing so well over the past nine games," he said after the match.
"The way that they got around each other and fought back in the second half of the year was amazing.
"No doubt they deserved to make the finals, but today was a massive kick in the guts.... It's an uncomfortable one and I know it will leave a hollow feeling for them, it does for me just watching."
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The 107-gamer said his former team-mates lacked finals physicality.
"I haven't seen one Port Adelaide player get sat on their backside," he said at half-time.
"In the finals, you have to try to bruise as many opposition players as you can and the Tigers haven't done that. Dimma would be going off."
After the match, King paid tribute to Port Adelaide's scintillating performance and said Richmond needed to do more to avoid a high-scoring first quarter.
"If you watch from the start... the 50/50 ball, when it was there to be won, Port Adelaide players on the outer ring had complete faith in their team-mates that they were going to win the ball," he said.
"They were front running. Some players call it cheating, others look at it and say it's belief. If you believe your team-mate is going to win the ball, then why wouldn't you run forward into the space and get on the end of it?"
King said it was obvious the winners were better prepared for the match.
"When we walked into the game, we all knew Port would play offensively. But defensively Port were outstanding as well," he said.
"Their bigger, more mature bodies really showed the way. When you have your captain Travis Boak having 33 disposals and 16 contested, the other players are going to follow, every single one of them.
"Hats off to Port Adelaide, you couldn't fault them. That outplayed Richmond in every way."
Jake King says Tigers must harden up
