Essendon fans have been called out for their bronx cheering of defender Ben McKay, during the side’s hefty loss to Brisbane on Saturday afternoon.
McKay had a game-low five disposals against the Lions, taking just two marks in the blowout defeat.
Whenever he did touch the footy however, Bomber fans jeered and heckled him from the stands.
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Ben McKay of the Bombers warms up. AFL Photos via Getty Images
During the fourth quarter, McKay intercept marked a Lachie Neale kick to the goal square.
And Essendon fans gave him the loudest bronx cheer yet for it, which didn’t sit well with a few of the game’s broadcasters.
“I’m not sure if that was a positive cheer,” former West Coast coach Adam Simpson pointed out on Fox Footy.
“Bit of a whipping boy today. He hasn’t done a lot wrong. Just hasn’t done a lot.”
“He’s only had the four disposals, but that’s not his role,” St Kilda great Leigh Montagna replied.
AFL player manager and former Geelong star Liam Pickering was particularly disappointed in the behaviour of the Essendon fans.
“Listen to that. It’s actually cruel, that, to be honest,” Pickering told SEN.
Leading AFL commentator Gerard Whateley, sitting next to Pickering, agreed.
“Essendon fans should have a real think about whether they want to do that,” Whateley said.
A leaked whiteboard at Brisbane’s training facility labelled McKay’s weakness as “low confidence” on Friday.
Whether it was for form reasons or because of the jeering, the Essendon defender spent a large portion of the third quarter on the bench.
McKay’s brother Harry, who plays for Carlton, sat out for a period of the 2025 season as he battled mental health challenges.
Ben McKay said at the time he was “proud” of his brother for taking the situation seriously.
The 28-year-old joined Essendon as a free agent for the 2024 season from North Melbourne, and was reportedly paid as much as $1.5m in that first season, on a deal worth as much as $6m.
He has played 112 AFL games – 41 of those for the Bombers.
In 2011, Essendon fans were called out for a similar treatment of one of their own in midfielder Brent Stanton.
Dons fans actively booed and jeered Stanton during a game against West Coast, where he was substituted out with an injury.
“It’s just amazing really that our supporters can do that,” then-Essendon coach Mark Thompson said after the game in 2011.
“We rate him as one of our best players, so you’d think our supporters would cheer him.”
Stanton currently works at the Bombers as an assistant coach.
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