AFL Free Agency 2023: Ben McKay’s $4 million windfall, and why it makes sense for Essendon

Ben McKay is about to cash in majorly at the Bombers, showing that it’s not just the big stars getting the big cash in free agency, so how can the Bombers make it work?

As recently as 2019, Ben McKay would probably have been delisted if he didn’t have a final season on his North Melbourne deal.

He was languishing in the VFL in a year when teammates went past him and he didn’t see AFL action after round 3.

In coming days, the North Melbourne full-back will complete a $4 million transformation as the latest AFL player to reap million dollar rewards from free agency.

We would say AFL star, but you don’t have to be a star under free agency’s provisions to get filthy rich. You just need to play in a position of need at a club that is desperate not to give away draft picks.

Ask Collingwood with key forward Dan McStay or Brisbane with key back Tom Doedee.

And while Essendon has gone all in on a free agency triple play, you have to give the club credit for actually having a crack after Brad Scott’s first year lecturing success-starved fans to be patient.

In past years, Essendon might have given up every early pick for a quick-fix solution.

But all Essendon is giving up is salary cap space – and buckets of it.

Yet, if the Dons can preserve their draft hand and turn departing defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher into Port Adelaide wingman Xavier Duursma, it will be a spectacular fortnight.

Ben McKay is bound for Essendon – on a big contract. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The beauty of McKay’s acquisition is not that the Bombers secure a Sam Taylor-style impassable defensive wall.

It is that they lock away their full-back spot for the next five years to allow those around him to flourish.

As North Melbourne found out when McKay fell out of favour in 2019 – playing 13 games that year in the VFL — he has always been a good back-shoulder defender.

Play tight, beat your man, don’t make things too complicated.

Playing in a more nuanced defence – working out when to push up, when to zone, when to drop off – he was far less effective.

Under Scott, McKay will be playing on the last line on the AFL’s big dogs.

And the Dons mid-sizers like Jordan Ridley and Mason Redman should set themselves for All-Australian seasons now that they can back McKay to hold up his end and occasionally intercept when they are in danger of losing their own one-on-one contest.

Zerk-Thatcher gave up six goals to Tom Hawkins twice and nine goals to Jesse Hogan this year.

The arrival of Ben McKay is good news for Essendon backs like Mason Redman. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

McKay was playing in footy’s second-worst side, and got beaten early and often this year.

Four goals to Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood (round 5), five goals to Ben King and Mabior Chol (round 6), four goals to Lance Franklin, Hayden McLean and Peter Ladhams (round 10), four goals to Brody Mihocek and Mason Cox (round 11).

But he did improve after conceding three goals to Taylor Walker (round 16), Tom Hawkins (round 17) and Mitch Lewis (round 18).

He kept Oscar Allan to one goal in round 20, gave up one goal to Jacob Van Rooyen (round 21), two goals to Peter Wright (round 23), and two goals to Jack Riewoldt and Toby Nankervis (round 23).

He did it while averaging eight intercept possessions in his last 10 games and a highly impressive 3.8 intercept marks across the entire season.

So if Essendon can improve its whole-ground defence they can be confident McKay can even be an intercept weapon where Zerk-Thatcher was at times a liability against the very best key forwards.

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has requested a trade to Port Adelaide. Picture: Michael Klein

The Jade Gresham play is more high risk – and might still be part of a trade for Dylan Shiel to St Kilda.

But his upside is obvious. Gresham ranked elite as a general forward this year in disposals, uncontested possessions and forward-50 ground balls and above average in score assists.

Yet his money kick – retaining possession from his disposals inside 50 – was disastrous.

Of the top 100 kicks inside 50, he ranked 93rd for kicks retained (36 per cent) and 84th for kicks marked.

He also kicked 21.16, going at 38.9 per cent accuracy.

Those 21 goals would still have put him equal-third behind Kyle Langford (51) and Jye Menzie (23 goals) at Essendon, so if he can improve his accuracy and disposal to leading forwards the Dons might discover a 30-goal-a-year forward.

It’s medium risk (in cap space) for potentially high reward.

Todd Goldstein is the instant Andrew Phillips replacement and with Sam Draper out until Christmas, the veteran back himself to play a serious number of games next year.

Brad Scott has huge challenges ahead – how to get the best out of Jake Stringer, how to stop the late-season fade-outs, how to fix the full-ground defence.

But even before a decision on Dylan Shiel, he will have plugged in two and maybe three players into areas of weakness at Essendon – and all without giving up a single draft pick.

Originally published as AFL Free Agency 2023: Ben McKay’s $4 million windfall, and why it makes sense for Essendon