Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks understands why coaching director Murray Davis would be considered for the vacancy at Essendon.
“It's no surprise,” Nicks said.
“I don't want 'Muz' to go because he's that good, but we're very much about developing people. We're constantly looking at how we can help them progress.
“Murray's got an aspiration to head coach, and he'd be an amazing head coach. He's done a fantastic job, and he should be considered.”
Davis joined the Crows ahead of the 2025 season after 13 years with Brisbane in a variety of roles. He oversaw the development of the Lions players, coached the defenders for a decade and then moved to the forward group for the 2024 season.
He's also coached his own team in the NEAFL, and led the Northern Territory Thunder to a premiership in 2011. Davis is now the coaching director at Adelaide, and works closely with Nicks and the assistant coaches, which has helped lead the club to the minor premiership last year.
Davis was awarded the AFL Coaches Association Career and Education Award last year. He was also in the running for the Assistant Coach of the Year, but was beaten by Brisbane's Cam Bruce.
The Bombers are undergoing the process of finding a new senior coach after sacking Brad Scott in May.
An Essendon flavour has filtered through the coaching candidates, with favourite son James Hird believed to be the frontrunner.
Hird's old teammates Dean Solomon and Mark McVeigh are part of the conversation.
Solomon is the current caretaker of the Bombers, and secured his first win as an AFL senior coach last weekend, with a three-point victory over the Giants.
