Essendon has reportedly taken the first step towards requesting an emergency assistance package from the AFL, a move that signals a new low for the struggling club. With the 2026 campaign already written off, the Bombers are divided once again over favourite son James Hird's push to return as senior coach. The club is now pursuing a formal application for a draft-hand assistance package, as first reported by Channel 9's Cal Twomey on Footy Classified.
Bombers' Desperate Plea
The Bombers have won just one of their past 24 games, a run that former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire labelled a 'death cycle'. According to reports, Essendon could receive concessions similar to what West Coast received last year, including an additional pick at the end of the first round and four extra rookie list spots. North Melbourne were also gifted a war chest by the AFL with assistant packages in 2022 and 2023.
With the potential loss of former captain Zach Merrett and key defender Jordan Ridley during the 2026 AFL Trade Period, the Bombers could head into the 2026 draft with six picks in the top 25. It is critical for the club to strike early, with Tasmania entering the competition with a massive hand of early draft picks beginning in 2027.
James Hird's Role
James Hird, a member of the Footy Classified panel on Tuesday night, said he is not against the assistance package. The 53-year-old earlier admitted he had been against West Coast receiving its package because the club is a powerhouse. Hird found an unusual ally in McGuire, who declared the AFL should help the Bombers because the club is 'too important to the competition'.
Hird was made to sit awkwardly on the panel when McGuire declared former Swans premiership coach John Longmire would be the 'No. 1 seed' as the Bombers and Carlton begin their search for a senior coach. It was reported that Longmire now has a desire to return to senior coaching.
Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters that the Bombers have room in the footy department soft cap to pay top dollar for a top-line coach next year. Despite this, Hird remains a key figure in the ongoing process. The premiership captain said he had not been in contact with Essendon president Andrew Welsh, a former teammate, but insisted he still wants another crack at coaching the Bombers.
Team Hird
CODE Sports writer Scott Gullan reported on Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle that Hird had spoken to close associates and begun to assemble 'Team Hird', including names like Mark McVeigh, Dean Solomon, Brendan McCartney, Dyson Heppell, Jimmy Bartel, and Michael Voss. When asked about the report, Hird said things formally 'haven't got to that level', but acknowledged he had thought deeply about a possible support network.
'Obviously, you think about who you'd like. You've got people in the football world who you respect and who you'd like to work with,' Hird said. 'But putting a team together hasn't happened ... but you don't get to this point now and not have been thinking about it day and night about how you would put it together.'
The Bombers have not won a final since 2004, and this marks the first time the club has formally applied for an assistance package. The footy world remains in a spin over Hird's potential return, as Essendon looks to navigate its way out of the 'death cycle'.
