Geelong assistant coach Steven King has been hospitalised after collapsing when he suffered a medical episode at a training session.

Paramedics were called to the Cats’ home ground Kardinia Park in Geelong when King collapsed while talking to players and colleagues on Friday morning.

He was taken to hospital and was conscious as he departed Kardinia Park.

King remains under observation in hospital, although the Cats do not believe the medical episode was life-threatening.

The incident delayed training and a media conference with Cats coach Chris Scott, as the club prepares for Saturday’s preliminary final against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.

“It has an impact on the players,” Scott said.

“I don’t take the view with these things that you’ve got to pretend that something isn’t happening.

“What we’ve got to do is deal with where we are and … the feedback is really positive.

“So we’ll do our best to focus on that positive, but it is quite confronting.”

King, who Scott described as a “workaholic”, is a contender for the vacant West Coast Eagles head coach position.

Scott suggested the fact King had flown back from Perth on Thursday night following an interview for the Eagles coaching role might have contributed to the episode.

King is not expected to be in the coaches’ box for Saturday’s grand-final qualifier against the Lions.

“For us to prioritise his health, it would be irresponsible for us to even consider him to be around over the next 24 hours or so,” Scott said.

“I’m led to believe that there is a chance that he could get a clean bill of health really quickly, but out of an abundance of caution it just seems logical to us and the right thing to do.

“In these situations it does reinforce that there is a right thing that supersedes football.

“I suspect that if he’s feeling good he’ll be disappointed to hear that news and even if he’s not feeling great he’ll be disappointed because he’s a competitor.

“But even at this pointy end of the season it reinforces to us what the right thing is over lesser priorities.”

King was a Cats premiership player in 2007 and has served in various coaching roles across several AFL clubs since retiring.