Essendon legend Kevin Sheedy should depart the club’s board, according to veteran footy journalist Caroline Wilson.
Sheedy, who coached the Bombers to four premierships and is one of the club’s greatest historical figures, joined the board in late 2020, after accepting an ambassadorial role with Essendon a few years earlier.
The 74-year-old, who coached the Bombers for 27 seasons, played a key role in the recent upheaval at the club, as he “crossed the floor” at board level to give David Barham the numbers to become president and oust his predecessor Paul Brasher.
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Shortly after, coach Ben Rutten was sacked, Xavier Campbell resigned as CEO and Brasher, Simon Madden, Sean Wellman and Peter Allen all announced they would leave the board.
And Wilson believes Sheedy should join those men through the exit door to facilitate a much-needed cultural shift at the club.
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“Kevin Sheedy needs to get off the board,” Wilson told the Don’t Shoot the Messenger podcast.
“I know I am sounding a bit cruel. Kevin Sheedy is one of my heroes. He is an Australian Football legend … but putting him on the board was a mistake. It was yet another quick fix and PR stunt really, which I think the board would now admit was a mistake.
“It’s going to be difficult unwinding (the mistake) like so many of the issues they’ve got to unwind, but I just don’t think you put a football hero on a board.
“It just creates more unnecessary factions. Kevin has been slightly pro the prospect of James Hird returning, I think that would be a really bad idea.
“I think they need an experienced coach, not someone who hasn’t worked fully in footy for six years until this year and I think they need a board without football people.
“They don’t need football directors and they need to stop looking back and start looking forward.”
The Bombers finished 15th this year with just seven wins to their credit.
