The search for Brad Scott's successor at Essendon has brought several familiar names into the spotlight, with James Hird, Adam Simpson, and Dean Solomon all considered potential contenders for the role.
James Hird
The shadow of the former Essendon champion has lingered over the club since he left the senior coaching post in 2015. Hird, one of the club's greatest ever players, was appointed as coach in 2010 but departed at the end of 2015 after a tenure marred by the fallout from the supplements saga. Several prominent figures with ties to the Bombers remain aggrieved at how his time in charge unfolded, including legendary coach Kevin Sheedy, who publicly protested the decision to appoint Scott over Hird while serving on the board in 2022. Amid a reported strong push for his return, Hird's intentions remain unclear. However, he returned to coaching as an assistant to Mark McVeigh during his interim stint at Greater Western Sydney in 2022 and currently works as a director for VFL side Port Melbourne.
Dean Solomon
While Hird's name reverberates in discussions, another former Bomber will serve as interim coach for the remainder of this season. Solomon, who played for both Essendon and Fremantle and served as an assistant at the Dockers and Gold Coast before also joining McVeigh at GWS, had left the coaching world. He returned over the off-season, giving up his position on the Bombers' board to serve as Scott's defensive lieutenant. However, Channel Seven's Tom Morris reported on the pair's really ordinary working relationship the night before the change was made.
Adam Simpson
The architect of West Coast's 2018 premiership, who was also at the helm during their subsequent slide to the bottom of the ladder, has remained coy on his coaching ambitions. After returning to football as a part-time coaching consultant with Carlton ahead of this season, he has ruled himself out of the running for the Blues job. But could he be targeted by another of Melbourne's power clubs?
Ken Hinkley
If Essendon want a coach with a proven track record of quickly turning around a team's fortunes, Hinkley could be just the man. After taking over a struggling Port Adelaide in 2013, he led his team to a semifinal in his first season and they fell just short in a preliminary final in his second. However, he was ultimately unable to get the Power to the last day in September across his 13-year stint.
John Longmire
Having not won a final in 7933 days, it is hard to say Essendon's culture in the modern era stands for success. Longmire, who won one premiership, reached four more grand finals, and oversaw only two seasons that ended outside the top eight across 14 years in charge of Sydney, has plenty of experience with what it takes to win. But would he want the gig?
Jaymie Graham
The last nine premiership-winning coaches lifted the cup in what was their first stint as a senior coach. Among the current crop of assistants, the man overseeing Fremantle's forward line ticks plenty of boxes. He has experience across multiple lines and in the development space at West Coast and Fremantle, and he has headed up his own State league side.
Corey Enright
The Geelong champion appears to be St Kilda's coach-in-waiting for when Ross Lyon decides to call time on his second stint in charge of the Saints. He has already been linked to Carlton as a candidate for their vacant position, and given the apprenticeship he has served under Chris Scott and Lyon, he may well also be considered by the Bombers.
Michael Voss
Admittedly, the chances of the recently-departed Carlton coach making the move up to Tullamarine appear remote at best. But the former Brisbane champion is available, did not disgrace himself in his stints heading up the Lions and Carlton, and was well-regarded for his work as an assistant under Hinkley at Port Adelaide.
