Former Essendon coach Ben Rutten appointed Port Adelaide’s head of football

Former Essendon coach Ben Rutten has been appointed Port Adelaide’s new head of footy after the departure of Chris Davies.

Rutten has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Richmond since being sacked from Essendon, where he was given just two seasons in charge before being axed.

It was his second stint at the Tigers, having spent four years under Damien Hardwick before joining the Bombers in 2019 as part of a succession plan with John Worsfold, who handed over to Rutten at the end of 2020.

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During a decorated playing career, Rutten played 229 games for Adelaide.

Now, he will return to his native South Australia to work for the Crows’ arch-enemy after Davies vacated the job to join Carlton.

Port Adelaide CEO Matthew Richardson was thrilled with the appointment on Tuesday.

“We’re delighted to welcome Ben Rutten to the Port Adelaide Football Club as our general manager of football,” Richardson told the club’s website.

“We undertook a thorough process to target and identify the right person for our program, and Ben emerged as the standout candidate who best complements our group and the direction we’re heading.

“The significant changes we’ve made over the last couple of months with the combined experience and capability we’ve compiled across our football department allowed us to think differently about this role.

Ben Rutten is leaving Richmond for a second time. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“Ben is a highly credentialed football person – a former player, assistant coach, and AFL senior coach – who will provide great leadership and support right across our club. He has had experience in successful programs and understands what an elite environment looks like.

“What particularly impressed us is Ben’s focus on continual learning and development and his desire to broaden his career beyond coaching, complementing his unique skills and experience to move into football administration. His most recent role as head of coaching and development at Richmond demonstrated exactly the kind of strategic football leadership we were seeking.

“Ben is a person of great character, and we look forward to welcoming him and his family to the Port Adelaide Football Club.”

Rutten said it’s an exciting time to join the Power under new coach Josh Carr.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Port Adelaide Football Club, especially at the beginning of a new era at Alberton,” Rutten said.

“Speaking with Matthew Richardson and Josh Carr about the opportunity, it became clear very quickly that I felt aligned with both the role and the club.

“Starting a new journey, with a new coaching group and plenty of new staff, it’s an exciting opportunity to grow together and build something special.

“I feel like I can contribute positively to Port Adelaide, especially considering the stage that the club is in and the capable group of people that have been brought together.

“It’s really important to me to support the coaches and the club in any way I can, and to have a wholistic approach to the AFL, AFLW and SANFL programs.

“I’m very much looking forward to being one part of leading this club into 2026 and beyond.”

Richmond footy boss Tim Livingstone said Rutten leaves the Tigers with their blessing.

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to bring Ben back to Richmond three years ago, such was the impact he made during his previous time with us,” Livingstone said.

“His expertise has been a great asset to both our players and coaching staff. While we are disappointed to lose Ben, we are pleased for him that he has found an opportunity to further his career.

“We wish Ben, his wife Kylie, and their boys, Jack and Bernie, all the best for the future.”