Speaking on Fox Sports, the former Kangaroo spoke highly of North’s prized addition.
“His (Dal Santo’s) leadership is the thing that’s probably been undersold,” King said.
“His impact on the group with his leadership and his voice has been probably more impressive than most.
“He’s probably surpassed the expectations of the Kangaroos’ coaching staff.”
While Lance Franklin, Dale Thomas and Heath Shaw are among the list of players to switch clubs in last year’s exchange period, King’s analysis puts Dal Santo ahead of some strong company.
“His impact with the ball… we know he’s a star. He’s a great player. His ball use will come to the fore,” he added.
Having joined the club in October via free agency, all eyes will be on the former Saint when he runs out for the first time in North Melbourne colours on Saturday.
The comments came on the back of similar praise from Assistant Coach Darren Crocker on Wednesday.
“I don’t think people have given Nick the credit he deserves… we know he’s a very good deliverer of the football, so people have probably seen him to be more of an outside player, but we recruited him to be able to be able to play to do both, like a Daniel Wells,” he said.
“Those sorts of guys who can win it on the inside and the outside are hard to tag, so he’s going to be a great addition for us.”
Dal Santo has quickly found his feet in new surroundings, earning a call-up to the leadership group in his first season at Arden Street.
