Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd believes that Bombers have failed to be proactive in preparing for the loss of star forward Joe Daniher, with Kane Cornes throwing Suns young gun Ben King's name into the mix as a potential successor.
Daniher joined Brisbane last week after nominating the Lions as his club of choice last month, 12 months on from his original request to leave Essendon in hopes of a move to the Swans.
The Bombers have made their interest known in Bulldogs star Josh Dunkley and Giants young gun Jye Caldwell, with Lloyd believing the clubs main focus should be on a key forward to replace Daniher.
โIn the short term, Ben Brown sounds like heโll play for Melbourne,โ Lloyd said on AFL Trade Radio.
โTom McDonald, Iโm not sure where that sits. Heโs been linked to GWS and the Sydney Swans.
โBut I would have thought that Essendon had realised that Daniher was going to leave for 12 months and wouldโve known this.
โFor me, (Josh) Dunkley should be secondary, (Jye) Caldwell should be secondary.
โWhy havenโt they been working at a Jeremy Cameron quality player realising that Daniher was going to leave?
โSo if no one comes in, Iโd be disappointed from an Essendon perspective if Iโm an Essendon member that they havenโt got someone in the wings and a deal in place for a key forward of note.โ
Kane Cornes backed Lloyd's take, naming King as the perfect candidate for the Bombers.
โI would be having a real look at Ben King,โ he said.
โI know heโs signed until 2022 but we know it takes time to get players to commit.
โIโd be looking at perhaps the biggest deal the Bombers have ever handed out for Ben King if he keeps progressing the way that we think he will in time.
โBut youโre right, they need almost a stop-gap. (Cale) Hooker has played there but doesnโt look to be in the shape that he has been before. Perhaps they go down there for a year or two until they can get in a younger key forward.
โ(Jake) Stringer and (Anthony) McDonald-Tipungwuti, I donโt think you canโt rely on those two to be your main targets. (Orazio) Fantasia is also a goal kicker and heโs out.
โThe Bombers have been smashed in the goal kicking position and they havenโt replaced anyone to kick 40-plus goals.โ
Lloyd backed Bombers youngster Harrison Jones to make his mark on the club on 2021.
โTheyโve got a young boy they took with pick 30 in the (2019) draft,โ he added.
โHarrison Jones is the one they really like for the future to hold down a key position. He should start playing games next year.
โHeโs someone that they took knowing that he wouldnโt play this season but he was the future.
โThe reason they moved on Mitch Brown was because they actually got a young boy in the draft and heโs the one theyโre looking at.โ
