Selected as a versatile key-position option in his draft year, Ben McKay has made his home at the heart of the North Melbourne defence in recent campaigns.
After four appearances in his first four seasons at the club, McKay burst onto the scene in 2020, locking down a spot in the back six alongside Robbie Tarrant, turning himself into one of the most skilled one-on-one defenders at the club.
North Melbourne debut: Round 23, 2017
2022: As North Melbourne's primary defender throughout a difficult season, it was another demanding year for McKay who was tasked with silencing the opposition’s most dangerous forward each week. He did this with aplomb though, further confirming himself as one of the competition's elite key backmen.
His campaign commenced in unfavourable way, however, when a concussion during the opening stages of Round 1 saw him sidelined for the rest of the clash as well as Round 2.
Despite missing seven total games, McKay's defensive nous stood out as he worked his way to becoming one of North Melbourne's three AFLPA MVP candidates, while a full season may have even seen him in All-Australian discussion.
Exhibiting his exceptional consistency as a stalwart behind the ball, McKay averaged a League-high 4.1 intercept marks per game and still managed to rank inside the top 10 for total intercept grabs.
