Bombers confirm selection committee and criteria for new senior coach appointment
Essendon have announced the criteria for their next senior coach and will interview 10-15 candidates who have senior coaching experience or are highly rated assistants.
On Friday, the Bombers also announced the panel that will select the new coach, which will include president Andrew Welsh, vice-chairman Anthony Di Pietro, board members Ted Richards and Tim Roberts and HR manager Caroline Monzon.
Although there were no outsiders on the panel, the Bombers said they would “use subject matter experts from both within and outside the club to inform our evaluation and decision-making process.”
Stating that the public is interested in this role, former champion and coach James Hird will be among the candidates the panel will discuss.
The club said reports that Welsh was backing interim coach Dean Solomon, his friend and former teammate, for the permanent job were false. Solomon may still decide to nominate candidates for the process. This is an open process where applicants do not need to be “Essendon citizens” or have a Bombers background.
Explaining their criteria in a letter to members on Friday, the Bombers said “development and connection are key priorities for our emerging roster, as are our culture, environment and overall football structure” and that the new manager would be aligned with the club’s strategy.
“We have spent the last month consulting with our board, managers, football staff, coaches and players about what the success profile of the club’s next senior manager will look like. This has been a detailed process to establish the brief and criteria for our search,” he said in the letter.
The Bombers consider their panel to be people with sufficient experience in outside organisations; Like Richards, the Swans’ first-year player, and Di Pietro, who appointed coach at A-League club Melbourne Victory.
“Our next coach will inherit a group with the best football in front of him and the opportunity to build a team that can consistently challenge for finals and championships,” they said in a letter to members.
“Unsurprisingly, there is already strong interest in this role in both the public and private sectors.
“We are confident in our direction and equally confident in the coach we appoint to help get us there.”
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Jake Niall is a Walkley-winning sports journalist and The Age’s chief AFL writer.Connect with: X or email.
