Premiership coach John Longmire has emerged as a candidate for the vacant Essendon coaching position, with the club set to begin formal interviews next week. Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson revealed that Longmire is among at least 10 candidates who will be contacted this week as the Bombers cast a wide net in their search for a new senior coach.
Longmire was in charge of the Swans for 14 seasons, making the finals 12 times and winning the premiership in 2012. He quit at the end of 2024 in a surprise move but remained at the club in a corporate role.
Internal Candidates Under Pressure
The revelation comes amid speculation that Essendon is under pressure to appoint someone with ties to the club, with interim Dean Solomon and favourite son James Hird believed to be the frontrunners. Solomon, who has lost all five games as interim, is yet to publicly declare whether he will apply, although his contract as an assistant to former coach Brad Scott runs until the end of 2027 and he intends to stay.
Wilson dismissed suggestions that internal candidates should be favoured over more experienced options. “I know there was a view that (Solomon) was the preferred candidate. I don’t see how he could have been given he was on the board, he wasn’t coaching at all up until he came in this year,” Wilson said on The Agenda Setters. “All the people at the club are denying that it has to be an Essendon person. We know that they’re going to start interviews next week. Over the next two weeks, there are at least 10 more candidates that are going to be contacted this week. My understanding is John Longmire is among them. People might have their views about John Longmire in his last year or two at Sydney when he maybe needed a break, but I just can’t buy that you would put Dean Solomon, or James Hird for that matter, ahead of John Longmire.”
Calls for Untried Assistant
Meanwhile, Kane Cornes said the club should follow Melbourne’s lead and go with an untried assistant to transform the club. “What we have seen is that it wasn’t Brad’s fault. I think there are far greater issues than the coach,” he said. “I’m not a caretaker coach guy, I think we’ve seen enough examples that that doesn’t work. How could you not look at what Steven King is doing at Melbourne and think that is not the preferred method for a coach to coach this footy club.”
The Agenda Setters host Craig Hutchison likened the situation to Hawthorn’s bold decision to appoint an untried Alastair Clarkson in 2005 despite pressure from club greats to appoint a former Hawk in Rodney Eade or Terry Wallace. “Jason Dunstall was strong enough to go and pick an untried coach in Alastair Clarkson and live with it,” he said. “I wouldn’t underestimate Andrew Walsh in this. He’ll pick the best coach. And if that’s an untried coach, he will stand on that.”
Lloyd Casts Doubt on Solomon
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd cast doubt over Solomon’s prospects given how poorly they have performed since he took over. The Bombers are a game clear in last place and have won just once this season. “It’s been really tough. (Solomon) is a wonderful person and he just does whatever is right for Essendon,” Lloyd said on the AFL website. “But it’s just such a big job, nothing’s been able to change, unfortunately for Dean. That may be the case, where you state that unfortunately results just take him out of it.”
Lloyd was scathing of Essendon under his 2000 premiership teammate, after they were dismantled by the Saints. The Bombers were well down on disposals and only laid 46 tackles for the game. “They were beaten up in every area … they are bereft of any belief, confidence, the works,” Lloyd said. “They can’t do anything with the footy, and they can’t do anything without it. In terms of the players, no one goes out there not to try, everyone’s trying, but you can just see they are playing with no confidence, there’s no belief. Even Zach Merrett, he’s dominated for years and even he looks a shell of himself. It’s just a hopeless situation where it’s a sad, sad watch.”
