A new chapter in the over a century and a half history of the Essendon Football Club is reportedly set to begin with Brad Scott being appointed as the new head coach of the Bombers.
Per a report from Mark Robinson of the Herald Sun, Scott is set to be appointed as early as Thursday night.
Scott's appointment comes in the same week his interest in the job was confirmed. Pipping Melbourne assistant Adem Yze at the post for the top job at Tullamarine, Scott lands his first senior coaching job since departing North Melbourne in 2019 in a move that will no doubt catch the ire of many Kangaroo fans.
The twin brother of Geelong premiership coach Chris had only just taken the role as the head of football for the AFL this year but the itch to step back into the coaches box was too much for him to refuse.
As Essendon look to rebound from a disappointing 2021 where they dropped from a finals appearance last year to fall to 15th on the ladder.
It has been 6,599 days since the Bombers last won a final back in 2004 and Scott comes in with an unwanted record of his own. Scott currently ranks 3rd for most AFL/VFL games coached without making a grand final and is the only one of those three coaches to do it at the one club.
Scott has just over a 50% winning record from his time at North Melbourne where he won 106 games and lost 105 during his tenure.
In a letter to members, President David Barham said the process to appoint Scott was thorough and "demanding".
"To reach this appointment, we established a clear and structured coaching recruitment process to ensure we found the right person to take our club forward," Barham said.
"The coaching process was diligent in its approach and detailed in its execution. It begun with a shortlist of over 22 candidates and included a demanding interview process, game style presentations and external personality profiling to ensure we had the full picture of the successful candidate.
"The coaching sub-committee met for the final time this afternoon to finalise their recommendation. This recommendation was then fully endorsed by the Board at a meeting this evening."
Barham paid tribute to Scott's past both as a player and in the coaches box saying his previous experience will be incredibly valuable and important during his time at The Hangar.
"Throughout the process, it was clear the club required a strong leader and Brad’s track record as a player, coach and administrator demonstrated this," Barham wrote.
"Brad is a two-time premiership player with the Brisbane Lions. He was an assistant coach at Collingwood for three years before becoming the senior coach of the North Melbourne Football Club for 10 seasons. He then transitioned to the GM of Football role at AFL House for the past three years. At the age of 46, Brad has an incredible resume, with a diverse range of roles and is the experienced figure the club required.
"We believe Brad has all the attributes to be the long-term coach of the Essendon Football Club. He’s a strong leader who will drive standards and establish a winning culture.
"We look forward to Brad getting started with us and working closely with the broader club and the football department for what will be an important pre-season."
