{"id":501507,"date":"2026-05-07T20:15:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T20:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=501507"},"modified":"2026-05-07T22:25:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:25:41","slug":"fans-fed-up-as-13m-afl-twins-struggle-massively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=501507","title":{"rendered":"Fans fed up as $13m AFL twins struggle massively"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carlton<\/a> and Essendon<\/a> share a lot of similar headaches at the moment. Both teams have won just the one game this season and have been on a sharp downward trajectory across the last 18 months.<\/p>\n

They both have senior coaches who are on the hot seat<\/a> and fighting for their jobs, both have been stung by the AFL's recent draft rule changes<\/a> and both are big Victorian clubs who have have frustrated passionate fans with minimal success generally across the last few decades. \ufeff<\/p>\n

The Blues and Bombers share another headache; they both have a McKay brother in a serious form slump. \ufeff<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> AFL slaps Brisbane player with hefty ban for 'offensive' slur<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Pies coach slams 'selfish' Pendlebury claims ahead of record<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 'A disgrace': Great slams Brayshaw's insurance verdict<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Carlton spearhead Harry McKay\ufeff has struggled massively in 2026, adjusting to life without Charlie Curnow taking the no.1 defender. He has kicked just eight goals from seven games, while struggling to hold contested marks and impact at contests.<\/p>\n

Essendon's Ben McKay meanwhile has been exposed consistently by opposition sides, with the key defender badly beaten numerous times this season.\ufeff He is only averaging nine disposals and five marks per game as well.<\/p>\n

Both clubs' fan bases have become so frustrated with their performances this season, that both stars were bronx cheered in round eight<\/a>\ufeff.<\/p>\n

The jeers came from their own respective fans when both players took marks late in losing efforts.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/x.com\/FootyIsMyJam\/status\/2050539686683365747?s=20<\/a><\/p>\n

Part of that frustration comes from the fact that both 28-year-olds are among the highest earning players at their respective clubs.<\/p>\n

\ufeffHarry at Carlton signed a seven-year deal worth $1m per season in 2022, while Ben joined Essendon as a free agent on a five-year deal worth approximately $850,000 per season, however he earned $1.5m of that in his first year at the club, making him the highest paid player in the competition in 2024.<\/p>\n

Both are expected to be high impact players, and have shown they can be in the past, but have had minimal say on proceedings in 2026. \ufeff<\/p>\n

Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel feels both stars are generally treated harshly, but still must deliver to back up their huge pay days.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\ufeff"I know both of the McKays cop a lot of heat. When you're big and you're a key position player, people want them to make their presence felt out on the field and make the game operate around you," Bartel told 3AW on Friday night.<\/p>\n

"I think sometimes the criticism on those two is harsh and unfair, but other times it's warranted as well.<\/p>\n

"In the absolute pinnacle of the sport and I don't always buy into 'you get paid this much', but that is an element.<\/p>\n

"Part of accepting a contract is accepting responsibility."<\/p>\n

Harry McKay in particular has shown he can star at AFL level. He won the Coleman Medal and made the All-Australian team in 2021, and had strong seasons alongside Curnow in the years that followed.<\/p>\n

Ben meanwhile has also shown his quality as a key defender and intercept marker at stages for both North Melbourne and Essendon.<\/p>\n

But both are far from their best in struggling teams, which is compounding the problem.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Carlton and Essendon need their respective McKays to star to help turn their seasons around, but conversely their poor form is only adding to their overall struggles. \ufeff<\/p>\n

The Bombers have clearly had enough, omitting Ben for their round nine clash with GWS. Carlton has backed Harry despite having just as much of an excuse to also drop him.\ufeff This would likely be the first time either has been omitted since the first few years of their careers.<\/p>\n

Harry has been overshadowed in the Carlton forward line by Brodie Kemp, 12 months off a torn Achilles, and Mitch McGovern, who was delisted and thrown a rookie list lifeline at the end of 2025. \ufeffBoth have kicked more goals and had more score involvements this season.<\/p>\n

On Ben, Bartel believes his form has been so consistently poor that he almost feels it has become more of an indictment on Essendon coach Brad Scott and his staff than the player himself. \ufeff<\/p>\n

"I've got to the point with Ben where I'm not laying the blame solely on him because if you've got defensive coaches and there's cameras everywhere and there's analytics and everything like that \u2026 when I watch Ben I've got to the point where I think it's on the coaching and the development," Bartel said.<\/p>\n

"Some of his positioning, I think to myself, surely someone's pulled him up on it and if not, there's an acceptance of what he's doing.<\/p>\n

"So, being 30m off your direct opponent when the ball is only 40m away and that's constantly happening.<\/p>\n

\"Essendon<\/p>\n

"It's become so much of a pattern where I start to think 'that's where they want him to play'.<\/p>\n

"(Coaches) would clearly articulate to their players how you want them to play and defence is very structured and very coachable. Attack takes more creativity, flair and talent.<\/p>\n

"Defence is 'man on man means this, zone means this, starting positions means this. Here's behind the goals vision; good, bad, terrible, excellent'.<\/p>\n

"It continues to happen over the last few years with Ben where I've got to the point where I go 'well, they must want him to play that way'."<\/p>\n

Ben McKay will play VFL for the Dons as they fly to Sydney to face GWS, while Carlton and Harry McKay clash with reigning premiers Brisbane on Friday night. \ufeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carlton and Essendon share a lot of similar headaches at the moment. Both teams have won just the one game this season and have been […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":501509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501507"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=501507"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501507\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":501514,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501507\/revisions\/501514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/501509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=501507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=501507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=501507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}