Essendon has announced the appointment of its new high-performance manager, Mathew Inness, following the departure of Sean Murphy amid the club's injury-riddled 2025 campaign.
Inness joins the Bombers following a two-year stint at West Coast that came after a dozen years at the Western Bulldogs in multiple roles.
He has also worked across various sports such as cricket, cycling and holds "a PhD from Victoria University, has recently completed a Master of Business Administration, and holds a Master's in Exercise Science, Strength and Conditioning through Edith Cowan University", writes Essendon on their website.
"It is really sad to be leaving West Coast, but sometimes you have to let go of something that you love to take on a great opportunity," Inness said.
"I've loved the past two seasons at West Coast, and I will miss the people and club dearly. Although on-field success is yet to come for the club, I feel that in the last two seasons, we have started to create resilient players that are able to compete at an AFL level.
"The chance to come back to my family in Melbourne, and work at a club like Essendon with such a strong history, and an exciting future was the major driving factor in this decision.
"In the conversations I've had with Essendon, I truly feel a genuine sense of purpose and an exciting vision for the future. The challenges of the past year have forged a really united team, and I can't wait to join a group of players who are ready to get to work."
The Eagles, through club GM of Football Gavin Bell, wished Inness farewell and thanked him for his contribution.
"Mat has made an incredible contribution to our club since his arrival, and is highly respected amongst the football department, staff and playing group," Bell said.
"While we are incredibly sad to see him go, we understand and support Mat's request to return home for family reasons.
"Mat's expertise and experience have had an enormous impact on our high-performance department, and we wish him and his family well for the future."
Inness will have his work cut out for him as the Bombers look to put their injury woes behind them.
Essendon unearthed a record 15 debutants in 2025, mainly due to injury problems sustained throughout the year.
The club provided an injury update on 16 players last week, and their steps going forward into the upcoming off-season.
