Ben McKay's position in Essendon's senior team has become untenable, and according to prominent pundits, something must be done. Kane Cornes and Nick Riewoldt, speaking on The Agenda Setters, expressed grave concerns over the Bombers defender's performance against Collingwood on Anzac Day. They admitted that some of his efforts were so poor that they hesitated before replaying the footage.
McKay's Confidence Crisis
McKay appeared devoid of confidence during Saturday's match against Collingwood, and his spot in the side has been under pressure for several weeks. Cornes believes that Essendon coach Brad Scott needs to drop McKay for his own benefit. "Something has to be done from a coaching point of view because we can't continually have this out there; it's not doing him any favours," Cornes said on The Agenda Setters.
Riewoldt added that they debated whether to show the vision due to its damning nature. "Not choosing to run through a player, running around, and then asking the umpire for a block. It was actually hard to watch at times on the weekend, some of these efforts," he said. Riewoldt emphasised that the situation has reached a point where intervention from the coach is necessary. "I think Brad Scott has to step in here — there has to be a circuit-breaker. Send him back to the VFL. If you want to get a kick at the moment and you're playing on Ben McKay, you just go get a kick, because there is no competitiveness within this man at the moment," he stated.
Lucrative Contract Under Scrutiny
McKay is tied to the Bombers on a lucrative contract until the end of 2029, having signed a six-year deal to join the club as a free agent at the end of 2023. Despite the contract, Cornes argued that Essendon must extract value from McKay. "Despite the contract, they have to get something out of Ben McKay — (he's contracted until) 2029. The VFL is there for a reason; he's just all at sea. He's clapping when the ball is still in play; he's just not quite with it at the moment. So that is why you have selection integrity; you send them back to the VFL, you say, 'Look, we might play you in the ruck, for three weeks we need you to compete. Take all the pressure out of it, I just want to see a contest, and then you deserve your place back in the side,'" Cornes said.
Scott's History with McKay
Scott coached McKay between 2016 and 2019 at North Melbourne and played a role in luring him to Essendon, having been a strong supporter of his at the Roos. "He's Brad Scott's boy; he was at North Melbourne, he's come across to Essendon. Give him a spell in the VFL and, like what you've done with Peter Wright, which has been great coaching, get him into the ruck, give him a circuit breaker, give him a fresh opportunity, so he can find his feet as an AFL player again," Cornes concluded.
