After poaching new coach Brad Scott from AFL headquarters last month, Essendon's search for its third chief executive since Round 23 may leave them double dipping.
According to The Herald Sun, AFL's executive General Manager of Clubs, Finances and Broadcasting Travis Auld is being considered to takeover at Tullamarine.
Auld previously worked at the Bombers from 1996 to 2009, starting in the finance department before progressing to chief operating officer.
He departed to become Gold Coast's inaugural CEO before joining the AFL executive team in 2014.
Auld is credited for his team's work in saving the 2020-21 seasons, redrawing fixtures on the run due to the COVID pandemic.
Essendon president David Barham said on Tuesday that "the CEO recruitment process is well underway with a highly-regarded external search firm, and we anticipate having our new CEO in the coming weeks".
However it is believed the process has just begun and its unclear whether anyone has been contacted.
Barham has once again outsourced the search to an external firm, but not Ernst and Young, who appointed Andrew Thornburn.
That appointment proved disastrous for the club, who parted ways with the new chief executive after one day - following backlash over his relationship with the City on a Hill church group.
The club was still happy with the review findings however, and as part of the search, Thorburn himself interviewed several candidates, including Richmond's chief marketing officer Simon Matthews.
Matthews was close to earning the job, that went to Thornburn, but is unlikely to contend this time around.
Respected Brisbane Lions boss Greg Swann is another name linked to the job, but Essendon have not been in touch, in either of the processes.
