Essendon have unveiled the first findings from the external review into their football department, with the club opening two new positions at Tullamarine.
In a letter addressed to members on Tuesday, President David Barham revealed the initial intricacies of a new framework at the club, with Essendon forging a general manager of performance position and a head of development role.
The positions add to the "first major demonstration" of change at Essendon in the wake of Brad Scott's appointment as senior coach, with Barham and the Bombers now bracing for the remainder of the review.
Their first findings have been confirmed by Barham, with the Dons setting a focus on the following:
- Restoring our purpose as a club
- Resetting our focus on three key pillars - our members, our players, and our community; for whom we exist
- Building a unified internal culture
- Backing our people and our operations through strong governance
"The External Review represents an exciting opportunity and one that everyone who loves the red and black can and should embrace," Barham states,
"The appointment of Brad Scott as senior coach of the men's team is the first major demonstration of that change. I can already report that Brad is making a significant difference and I want to commend him for the way he and General Manager – Football, Josh Mahoney are reinvigorating our football department.
"One area that the Board is focusing on as a priority, consistent with the preliminary findings from the EY External Review, is our football department. Our players deserve every opportunity to excel both on and off the field and further urgent investment is required now for the club to achieve the success we all desire.
"Prioritising this area now will ensure we can develop the program and have support in place for when the players return to pre-season training.
"To this end, we will be making several key appointments to improve player development and ensure the football department is better supported and aligned in its pursuit of on field success."
Essendon have also promised a refined focus and greater investment into their Women's football program and VFL program.
Barham has also detailed the club are continuing their search for a new chief executive officer.
Following the resignation of Andrew Thorburn after 24 hours at the helm, Barham and co. are set for greater due diligence in their next appointment.
"The search for our new CEO is progressing with the assistance of a highly regarded executive search recruitment company, to ensure we unearth the highest calibre talent for this key role," Barham continued.
"It is important that we give the External Review the necessary time, consideration, and commitment to build a sustainable action plan and focus on the future.
"We will continue to provide feedback on the outcomes of the External Review and look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks, including the announcement of our CEO.
"Rest assured that the Board and I are 100 per cent united and committed to making the necessary changes and seeing them through, so we can all look forward to Essendon returning to what we want it to be - a thriving football club."
