David King is concerned about whether Essendon will manage to fill a void in the forward line ahead of the 2022 season.
“I’m still worried about the key pillars up forward," King said on SEN Drive.
“Until they find someone for there or something there that’s not just Jake Stringer, then I think they’ll be stuck in this little bracket.
“They’re coming off 11 wins, looked really good, young team. They’ll be thereabouts again, won’t they?
“[Peter] Wright lit it up late in the year as a tall with the seven-goal game and looked pretty good towards the back end."
Harrison Jones remains the sole tall target ahead of the ball after Peter Wright, as former forward option Cale Hooker retired at season's end.
Stringer, who often pushed into the midfield this season, led the club's goalkicking with 41 majors, and should he once again spend more time in the middle, King believes the club's dearth of sharpshooters could stymy any progression.
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A potential antidote to this perceived ill could come in the form of Gold Coast forward, Ben King who is currently set to come out-of-contract at the cessation of next season.
While a move to Tullamarine has been mooted for the burgeoning King, should the 21-year-old fail to ink a new deal to remain at Carrara, you can be sure that the Bombers won't be the only club chasing his services ahead of 2023.
Essendon crashed out in the elimination final against the Bulldogs, losing by 49 points following a goalless second-half in Launceston.
