A Melbourne Magistrate has likened former Tigers footballer Jake King to disgraced Australia cricket captain Steve Smith — admired as a great man, but involved in "some lapse".
King, 33, made a brief appearance in Melbourne Magistrates' Court over threats made in July 2017.
The former player was originally facing at least eight charges relating to threats against the business associate of a friend.
His lawyer, Dermot Dann, told the court his client would plead guilty to threatening to inflict serious injury on a person in early July last year.
He will also admit to possession of testosterone when he returns to court in April.
King is expected to rely on up to 30 character references of people he has helped in the community.
Magistrate Carolyn Burnside likened King to Smith's recent ball-tampering incident in South Africa.
"Everyone admires him as a great man yet he seems to have been involved in some lapse," she told the court.
"That's human nature — unfortunately sometimes our lives go dreadfully wrong."
Magistrate Burnside extended King's bail until his next court appearance.
