Fresh details have emerged of Essendon’s “brutal” external review in the club’s bid to address its dire 2022 season.
The Bombers last month launched the review amid a bold shake-up following their seven-win campaign including David Barham taking over as president and a number of board members departing in addition to senior coach Ben Rutten’s sacking and CEO Xavier Campbell’s resignation.
The chaotic fallout included the club’s 11th-hour bid for coaching great Alastair Clarkson backfiring badly after he instead opted to join North Melbourne.
Watch every match prior to the AFL grand final Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
And now veteran journalist Caroline Wilson reports Essendon is having “struggles” with finding a new coach as several high-profile candidates including Ross Lyon pulled out of the running, while she also states the independent review by Ernest and Young team is “ruffling a few feathers.”
“I know that some staff and football stuff who’ve been interviewed have not enjoyed the questioning, and are not sure about what direction this is going in,” she said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“It’s in parallel with the search for the new coach. I’m not sure that the lack of leadership is helping Essendon find a new coach.
“I think some of the assistant coaches have been left wondering about their futures.
“There’s a view at the highest levels of the competition that the board might not be as stable as it looks as well, so there’s a lot to unfold at Essendon.”
However Bombers legend Matthew Lloyd believes some players have embraced the ruthless nature of the review in hopes of improving the club’s standards.
“I‘ve had some people say to me, and that’s a player or two at the club, that they’ve loved it because it has been a brutal questioning,” the three-time Coleman medallist told Footy Classified.
“But they want to get to where they want to get to as a footy club. A lot has stemmed back to what’s gone wrong, and the questioning has been deep and thorough.
“They have walked out of there drained, but they’re pleased that the questions are actually being asked to try to get to the bottom of it.”
With the likes of Lyon, Leon Cameron and Ken Hinkley turning down Essendon’s approaches to become its next coach, it leaves Adem Yze, Jaymie Graham, Daniel Giansiracusa and Don Pyke as the key contenders.
AFL football operations boss and ex-Kangaroos boss Brad Scott is another name to watch, particularly given the Bombers initially said they were targeting an “experienced” coach to take the reins.
Wilson reports Scott “would be the man to beat” if he throws his hat in the ring, however Lloyd doesn’t think he should be handed the job — like Clarkson would’ve been — and urged the club to run a thorough process.
The Bombers last month named their six-person sub committee to choose their next senior coach including club footy boss Josh Mahoney, Hawks legend Jordan Lewis and Australian Football Hall of Hamer Robert Walls.
