Essendon have appointed former player Andrew Welsh as the newest member of the club's board of directors.

Welsh, who played 162 games for the Bombers between 2002-2011, will replace club great Simon Madden on the Bombers' board following Essendon's recent blood spill.

The 39-year-old will stand for election leading up to the club's AGM as he looks to rekindle his ties with the club.

โ€œI am delighted to join the board of the Essendon Football Club and am excited to be part of the next chapter of this great club,โ€ Welsh said in a club statement.

โ€œThis club has been a huge part of my life and I want to do everything I can to help it return to being a powerhouse in the AFL.

โ€œI am pleased with the way the club is handling the appointment of a new coach. A fully independent panel, that is dedicated to finding us the best person is exactly the right process.

โ€œI am also a big supporter of the clubโ€™s external review. For too long, we have not been successful on the field, and we need to work out why and address the issues.

Embed from Getty Images

โ€œI look forward to reading the report and then playing an active part in making the necessary changes to help us become successful again.โ€

Since retiring from football, Welsh has been the managing director of Wel.Co, a property development business working on the periphery of Melbourne.

Welsh's running for election will come alongside Andrew Muir, who is hoping to be re-elected.