Essendon recruit Ben McKay has unwittingly taken a swipe at former club North Melbourne. The key defender arrived at the Bombers during the trade period on a monster six-year deal worth over $800,000 a year. It’s also heavily front-ended, meaning he will be among the AFL’s highest-earners in 2024 on over $1.2 million. McKay spent eight years at North Melbourne, winning just eight times from his 71 games.
” McKay knows he will be under pressure to perform given the size of his contract. The Bombers are also under extreme pressure, having not won a final since 2004 - the longest drought in the league . They completed a busy trade period with the signings of Jade Gresham, Xavier Duursma and Todd Goldstein. “Essendon are right there, I think they’re right around the corner from having success,” McKay said.