David King's blunt assessment as Essendon edges closer to the cliff

David King has expressed his frustration with Essendon, questioning their defensive systems and the leadership of the group.

The Bombers were smashed by St Kilda on Saturday afternoon, continuing a form slump that has seen them lose four of their last five.

King can’t understand why they refuse to use big-money recruit Ben McKay as their deepest defender, particularly as a team like St Kilda piles on goals against them.

“Let’s call a spade a spade, St Kilda don’t score like that. 14 goals at three-quarter-time. That’s only happened three times in the last six years,” King told SEN Breakfast.

“The story is Essendon because they’ve recruited in the off-season to be better than this. To be a better model than this and right now defensively they look lost.

“Their setups, their cohesion, it certainly isn’t there. You wonder what the setup is supposed to look like and why it looks so disjointed week to week.

“We didn’t think it could get worse than last week. It’s not just alarm bells and it’s not an easy fix because they’ve got enough talent there.

“I keep saying this isn’t a talent issue, this is guys not knowing how to assist each other and guys releasing at the wrong time.

“They were quite organised in their press and getting set behind the ball. I love when Ben McKay is the last man in the chain. For some reason he’s closer to the stoppage than the defensive goals.”

“I don’t understand why Ridley, prior to the injury, isn’t the half back that would intercept like a Tom Stewart.

“Laverde is a bits and pieces guy. They wanted that to be Zach Reid, but he’s injured. He should be the third man in support, but more often than not he’s in the goal square on a threat and McKay is 40 metres away.

“It’s one of those things that now needs an off-season to correct. It’s very difficult to change your defensive system during a season.”

King wants to see players at the Bombers outside of Zach Merrett pick up some of the leadership burden.

“Too much has been left to too few. I just wonder if you have to flush these guys out. The ones that sit behind Zach Merrett,” King said.

“Merrett does all the talking. He faces the media, he’s the one they wheel out when things go wrong.

“I just wonder whether you run the others out and say, ‘You’re a part of this. You’re a leader here. You go and face the music and then see if you can elevate your level of buy-in for what we’re doing every week’.

“Enough is enough at Essendon. It has to stop. I just don’t see the investment in team at Essendon that you see at other places.

“St Kilda doesn’t have the talent Essendon’s got, and they brained them. What is it that is missing? The only thing you can do is elevate the selection of players to absolute importance.

“If you’re not prepared to play the Essendon way, then you’re out, and we don’t care how much cash you’re on. I don’t see that happening enough at Essendon.”

The Bombers host Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, with their finals hopes hanging by a thread.