A second coaching domino has fallen.

The axing of Brad Scott sees Essendon join Carlton, and technically Tasmania, in the market for a new senior coach.

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And attention will quickly turn to who will take the coaching reins at Tullamarine in 2027.

Foxfooty.com.au has broken down 26 potential candidates in three groups — Bomber blood, the first-timers and experienced campaigners.

BOMBER BLOOD

James Hird

Third time lucky? Liked this somewhat cheeky tweet from the great Daniel Harford: “They’ll never have true closure if they don’t appoint him. Might as well just do it. #Jim” One of Essendon’s greatest ever players, Hird coached Essendon for nearly four full seasons before his sacking late in 2015 with his Bombers 5-14. He didn’t coach the cub in 2014 as he served a 12-month AFL-imposed ban for his role in the controversial Essendon supplements program. He’s now 11 years removed from his Essendon resignation, having since briefly served at the Giants in 2022, and taken up a director of coaching role at Port Melbourne. There was a push for Hird to take over from Ben Rutten – board member Kevin Sheedy certainly wanted his former superstar back in the chair – before Scott landed the gig in September 2022. Essendon legend Tim Watson told SEN on Tuesday morning: “I get the feeling that there’s a very, very strong push from a lot of people out there to get James back at Essendon coaching.” Whether Hird wants the gig remains to be seen, but his role with Borough at least suggests he maintains an interest in coaching.

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Could James Hird return to Essendon? (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

Dean Solomon

From the board to senior assistant … to senior coach? Solomon will take the interim coaching reins following Scott’s departure. Intriguingly, Channel 7’s Tom Morris reported on Monday night Scott and Solomon never had a great working relationship. Another premiership Bomber, Solomon has spent time as a senior coach – for three games back in 2017 at the Suns after Rodney Eade was sacked. He has spent time as an assistant coach at Fremantle and the Suns, with his time at the latter ended prematurely at the end of 2020, despite having a deal until the end of 2022, surprising many in the industry. Solomon was Stuart Dew’s senior assistant in 2020 and met with the Dockers in 2019 as the side looked for a Ross Lyon replacement. He’s also spent time with Mark McVeigh and Hird in the Giants coaching box in the back-end of this season following Leon Cameron’s departure. He was went for the Bombers job four years ago that Scott eventually landed. Solomon was elected to Essendon’s board in December 2024, stepped down abruptly in October 2025 – one month after his former teammate Andrew Welsh was appointed the club’s president. If he got the gig full-time, it’d be one heck of a unique pathway to get there.

Daniel Giansiracusa

Left Essendon in October 2025 after five seasons with the club’s coaching panel and linked up with Hawthorn as its new head of development. It’s a role that Hawks coach Sam Mitchell performed in 2021, before succeeding Alastair Clarkson the following year, in a sign of Giansiracusa’s intentions. Bombers football boss Daniel McPherson said: “We understand his desire to become a senior coach and that rounding out his CV with a different role in the development area was important to him and we respect that decision.” Seven months later, there’s a coaching vacancy back at the Bombers. Giansiracusa, who was one of the shortlisted candidates beaten to the Melbourne job by Steven King last year, is widely considered a future coach. After a 265-game career at the Western Bulldogs, he became an assistant at the Bulldogs in 2015 before stepping into the role as senior coach of Footscray in 2019. Giansiracusa in 2020 was named the AFL Coaches’ Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year before being poached by Essendon for the 2021 season. Would he want to go back to Essendon so soon to hold a role he’s desired for so long? Would Essendon entertain him so soon after his departure?

James Kelly

A triple premiership Cat and current Cats assistant – but also both a former Bombers player and assistant coach. Like Giansiracusa, Kelly was one of the candidates beaten to the Melbourne job by King last year, demonstrating just how close he was to landing a role. Kelly finished his decorated playing career at Essendon in 2017 then quickly moved into an assistant coaching role at the same club for three seasons. He resigned in February 2021 to care for his two young sons full-time, before linking back up with the Cats as an assistant in September that year. Since then, Kelly has honed his craft under arguably the competition’s best mentor in Chris Scott. After missing out on the Demons gig last year, Kelly told the Geelong Advertiser: “I don’t ever want to really make big statements about that sort of stuff (coaching my own team), but I think just as they come, you just work through your own process. And if things line up, then you have a throw of the stumps and if they don’t, then I absolutely love working where I do.”

Buckley, Longmire… or James Hird?! | 08:17

Hayden Skipworth

A former Crow and Bomber, Skipworth finished his playing career at Essendon in 2009 before a steady rise through the coaching ranks over 11 years at Essendon. He started as a development coach with the Bombers before leading both Bendigo Gold and the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL between 2012 and 16. He then moved into Essendon’s AFL coaching ranks as an assistant, steering the forward line then midfield group. Skipworth since 2020 has been at Collingwood, where he’s now Craig McRae’s most senior assistant and often taken charge of the Pies during the pre-season. Skipworth was right in contention for the West Coast gig in 2024 – which was eventually secured by Andrew McQualter – and part of the Melbourne job interview process last year, although he wasn’t as close this time around. In the wake of Michael Voss’ exit from Carlton earlier this month, McRae said Skipworth “would be ready” for a senior coaching role, adding: “His strategy is really good, his people management is really good The way he owns a room … he’s really well organised. He’s always bettering himself, travels to better himself. He’s got a lot of experience now.”

Simon Goodwin

Before landing at Melbourne – which saw him guide the club to that drought-breaking 2021 premiership, as well as a whirlwind 2018 preliminary final campaign and back-to-back minor premierships in 2022 and 2023, Goodwin was at the Bombers. Goodwin joined Essendon following his decorated playing career at the end of 2010, quickly rising the ranks as an assistant coach. He coached Essendon for one match in 2013 – after Hird was handed an AFL-imposed suspension – and was promoted to senior assistant under Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson for the 2014 season, before Melbourne poached him to be part of a Paul Roos succession plan coaching handover. The rest is history. While Goodwin was removed by the Dees late in the 2025 season, there were signs during that year he’d turned Melbourne’s fortunes around. In fact, some would say Goodwin laid the foundations for the Demons’ exciting new-look style under King this year. Goodwin wasn’t out of a job for long, with Sydney quickly appointing him the club’s director of coaching and performance. And his impact on Sydney’s breathtaking high-handball game has been widely lauded, with the top-of-the-ladder Swans ranked a clear first for points scored this season.

THE FIRST-TIMERS

The success of Steven King at Melbourne no doubt boosts the stock of Geelong assistants Kelly and JamesRahilly.

Rahilly even recently said he’d be open to taking a call from Carlton to signal he has senior coaching ambitions. He’s held numerous coaching roles with the Cats, including a three-year stint as Adelaide’s forward coach in between.

James Rahilly of the Cats (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

It’s also stocks up for Dees assistant Troy Chaplin, who works closely with King after assuming interim coach responsibilities following Simon Goodwin’s sacking last tear. Chaplin flagged he wouldn’t put his hand up for the Melbourne role but said he harboured aspirations to one day coach his own side

In a similar vein, Suns assistant Shaun Grigg spent three seasons at the Cats and oversaw their midfield group in the 202 premiership year. So, Grigg has now served under Scott and Damien Hardwick — arguably the two best coaches of the modern era. And Scott is clearly a big fan of Grigg after he brought him on as an assistant for the Victorian team in State of Origin.

Speaking of people with a Geelong background, could the Bombers disrupt another club’s plans?

Corey Enright – who some believe has been unofficially earmarked as Ross Lyon’s successor at St Kilda – is another appealing option. The three-time premiership Cat currently serves as St Kilda’s head of strategy and game plan and Lyon’s sidekick. Enright pulled out of the Melbourne search last year to remain at Moorabbin.

Sticking with the theme of people in successful environments, Brisbane footy boss Danny Daly is very highly regarded and been linked to coaching roles before. Chris Fagan’s right-hand man has coaching credentials, too. Daly served six seasons on the Lions coaching panel, before being promoted to head of footy in late 2020.

Cameron Bruce is another Fagan lieutenant as midfield coach at the Lions and coming off a 2025 campaign where he won the AFL Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Bruce was also Hawthorn’s midfield coach during its three-peat of flags from 2013 to 2016.

The same could be said of Hawthorn assistants Adrian Hickmott and David Hale, who’ve been able to pick the brain of rising coach Sam Mitchell and only grown their reputation at the Hawks. Hickmott has been in the AFL coaching game for over a decade and recently said on SEN radio he was “ready” to be a senior coach when asked about the Blues opening. Hale was at Fremantle for six seasons, before the triple premiership ruck returned to Hawthorn after Mitchell’s appointment late in 2021.

Technically an untried coach, Blues interim boss Josh Fraser is fast showing his chops with a 2-0 record since stepping in for Michael Voss. And coaches that were rucks certainly seem to be the flavour right now!

Though Fraser said after his appointment he wouldn’t go for the Carlton gig permanently, his record might become too hard to ignore – both for the Blues and Essendon. That said, there’s still a lot of footy left in this season and the Blues could just be in the honeymoon phase with Fraser.

It’s not that Fraser has done anything groundbreaking in terms of tactics, but the way he’s gotten the Carlton group to buy in is commendable. He returned to the Blues this season — where he was once the Northern Blues senior coach — after three years at the Pies.

The Blues are 2-0 under Josh Fraser (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

Blues senior assistant Ash Hansen is perhaps the one most would’ve expected to replace Voss for the caretaker role. Hansen chose not to pursue the vacant Eagles position in 2024 and instead stay in Victoria for family reasons. He’s been at the Blues for five seasons after nine years at the Western Bulldogs.

Going back to the rucks trend, Bulldogs assistant Brendon Lade has been regarded as a senior coach in waiting. Lade was one of the final candidates for the Melbourne job and was in fact interviewed by the Bombers in 2022 before they went with Scott. Fellow Dogs assistant and 2024 AFL Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year, Daniel Pratt, is another name to watch. Pratt spent 10 seasons at the Eagles including during their 2018 premiership campaign.

Highly-rated Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham is another that’s been in his fair share of coaching races. Graham has worked for both the Dockers and West Coast, as well as St Kilda.

Brett Montgomery has also been in the coaching game for a long time. Montgomery, currently at the Giants after stints at Port Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Carlton, was an early contender for the vacant Eagles role in 2024 that was eventually won by Andrew McQualter

It feels like Scott Burns has been linked to every coaching opening over the last decade, so maybe the ship has sailed. The ex-Magpie has working under Matthew Nicks at West Lakes for over five seasons after gigs at West Coast, Collingwood and Hawthorn.

Tributes flow in for Neale Dainher | 02:25

THE EXPERIENCED CAMPAIGNERS

The Bombers went for a second-time coach in Scott just under four years ago and, ultimately, it didn’t work.

And the reality is most coaches who come back for a second shot don’t tend to achieve premiership success. Mick Malthouse was the most recent success story in 2010 after the former Eagles coach led Collingwood to a flag. The only other two in the past three decades have been ex-Cats coach Malcolm Blight, who led the Crows to back-to-back flags in 1997-98, and former Magpies coach Leight Matthews, who famously guided Brisbane to its early-2000s threepeat.

Having said that, there’s few second-time coaches in the senior chairs across the league at the moment: Alastair Clarkson, Damien Hardwick and, until recently, Scott and Michael Voss.

Ken Hinkley last year was reportedly on Essendon’s radar during his final season as Port Adelaide coach. The Bombers, according to The Age, wanted Hinkley to take over as Essendon’s director of coaching. Ultimately, Hinkley moved into a media commentary role and has been a brilliant addition to the Fox Footy team.

Coincidentally, one of Hinkley’s standout commentary moments so far this season was his assessment of Essendon during its massive Round 2 loss to Port Adelaide. As the Power played keepings off with Essendon in the third term, Hinkley delivered a scathing take on the Bombers’ willingness, telling Fox Footy: “I don’t want to watch seven minutes of that type of footy – I want to see them keep pushing and keep going and keep delivering on growth … I don’t want to see Essendon particularly just let that (kick to kick) happen. That’s almost white flag.”

Essendon has already sounded out Ken Hinkley (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

Premiership Eagles coach Adam Simpson will again be floated as a contender. Another star commentator since vacating a senior coaching role, Simpson has been relentlessly questioned over his desire to coach again in the AFL. Simpson only last week officially ruled himself out of the Carlton coaching search. Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 last week, Simpson put a line through his name given “it doesn’t feel right” after a “very brief” conversation with the Blues as he’s been working as a part-time coaching consultant – initially with Voss – at Ikon Park.

Would a fresh role at Essendon appeal? Whether he’d be prepared to take over a club in the middle of a rebuild – a couple of years after Simpson left the Eagles in the middle of their rebuild – remains to be seen.

Nathan Buckley, clearly, still holds interest in coaching again one. The Magpies legend missed out on the Melbourne gig to Steven King, but quickly linked up with Geelong under Chris Scott where he’s guiding the club’s defensive group. Buckley has also been strongly linked to Tasmania’s vacancy and remains in the running for that job.

He’s coached a ‘big Victorian club’ before in Collingwood – and took it to the 2018 Grand Final as part of a 10-season stint – but whether he’d have the desire to take over the Bombers at this stage of their journey is the burning question.

And then there’s Swans premiership coach John Longmire. Earlier this month, Longmire refused to rule himself out for the Blues gig, telling AFL 360: “For me, these things tend to become clear over a period of time. I’m happy to let that time play out. I understand the questioning and I understand there’s a bit of interest in it. But I’m not in the position at the moment in my own head to ascertain whether it’s a yes or no.”

One of the most respected coaches of the century, Longmire transitioned to coaching and took over from Paul Roos at Sydney at the end of the 2010 season. What followed was 14 years of sustained success, including the 2012 premiership and five Grand Final appearances. Remarkably, the Swans made finals in 12 of the 14 seasons under Longmire’s leadership before he handed the coaching reins to assistant Dean Cox in late 2024.

Longmire remains at Sydney as executive director of club performance, but that won’t stop Essendon putting in a call – if it wants him – to a man who left the Swans coaching role with a record that’s the envy of most of AFL counterparts.