Updated May 26, 2026 — 9:22am,first published 7:40amEssendon president Andrew Welsh says the decision to part ways with coach Brad Scott with more than a year on his contract came down to the club’s position on the ladder and the belief that change was needed. This masthead confirmed the news on Tuesday morning, and the Bombers will hold a press conference at 12.45pm. Welsh and chief executive Tim Roberts will front the media; Scott is not listed to appear and has been contacted for comment. The Bombers have won just one match in a year and slumped to the bottom of the ladder with Friday night’s loss to Richmond.Welsh said Scott had been a strong leader but there had been a lack of progress.“Brad is a resilient, stoic leader who gave everything to this football club and to the people in it. He came to Essendon with a clear set of values and he never compromised them, through good times and difficult ones,” Welsh said in a club statement.“We appreciate the sacrifices he made for our club and thank him for his commitment and professionalism. Brad leaves a legacy with the decisions he made in building our list which were always club first.“Ultimately, whilst we know we are a young team, we are not comfortable with our current position which led us to meet as a board to assess and make a decision on the future of the senior coach position.“When looking at the overall progress of our football team this season, it was agreed that we needed a fresh voice to take the club forward for the 2027 AFL season. Once that decision was made, it would have been unfair to have Brad continue as coach any longer and that is why we have brought this decision forward to today.“While long-term decisions have been clear and provide great hope for our future, we still need to show progress week to week, and we haven’t seen that this year. These are genuinely difficult decisions, and we do not take them lightly but the cumulative nature of our losses and the key performance indicators set by the Club at the start of the season are not trending in the right direction.”Welsh said the Bombers did not want to waste the second half of the season.Out the door: Brad ScottGetty Images“In recent years we have transitioned our playing list, overhauled our high-performance department and enhanced our list and recruiting division, and today we made the difficult decision to change our senior coaching structure,” he said.“We have been extremely clear on the strategy and direction of our football club. We are building the next successful era for Essendon, with a view to playing finals, winning finals and competing for premierships.“There is a lot to be gained from the second half of the season, and we won’t waste the opportunity to develop and improve our performances.“We know recent times have been hard for Essendon people, and we feel that deeply. We are confident the best days for this football club are ahead of us and we are excited about the future.”Scott’s exit will make Essendon the second team to remove a coach this year after Carlton and create potential competition between the fallen superpowers.Scott’s tenure saw a decline in results over his third and fourth seasons, not helped by a horrific injury toll in 2025.He had recently reminded the media – and possibly the new club hierarchy headed by chairman Andrew Welsh – that club leaders and board members had bought into a long-term rebuild strategy that would emphasise the draft.He was contracted until the end of 2027, with an amount likely to be more than $800,000 remaining on it.Making the tough call: Essendon president Andrew Welsh.AFL PhotosNo sooner had the Bombers parted ways with Scott than club great Tim Watson raised the prospect of James Hird returning as coach. Hird coached the Bombers between 2011 and 2015, but resigned amid the fallout from the club’s supplements saga.“There is a very, very strong push from a lot of people out there to get James back at Essendon, coaching,” Watson told SEN.“Essendon people want success, they want the right person. Right now, a lot people think that might be James Hird.Watson said the Bombers needed to run a “proper coach search”, as they had done when appointing Scott.Scott with former skipper Zach Merrett.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesHowever, Hird remains popular with sponsors and powerful coterie groups. “He still has to coach. All that [off-field support] is before he stands before the players and outlines his plan and strategy and his philosophy,” Watson said.Hird was contacted for comment.“Earlier in the year, I said … I attended a couple of functions where I have been there with James on the stage and I said: ‘You cannot believe the rank and file Essendon fan that turn up to these nights and how pro James Hird they are’,” Watson said.Former coach James Hird has support among former players and coteries.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesWatson said Hird would have a “compelling” case should he show he would have a strong coaching group with him. He said Hird was capable of developing talent, a long-time issue at the club.Earlier this month, Hird said coaching was his clear choice of all the jobs he has had through his life so far.“You’d absolutely be a senior AFL coach, you would,” Hird told Nine’s Footy Classified.“If you love coaching, the passion for coaching and putting a team together is the highest thrill you can get outside of playing.”Scott’s exit follows a saga involving former captain Zach Merrett, who sought a trade to Hawthorn at the end of last season which was blocked by Welsh and his board.This masthead has reported that Merrett is again frustrated and considering his options.Defender Jordan Ridley is in a similar situation, and there has been concern about emerging star forward Nate Caddy’s satisfaction at the club after a post-match radio interview in which he said he did not want to “take mediocrity”.Welsh and CEO Tim Roberts were part of the decision to extend Scott’s contract as board members under David Barham’s presidency with the coach re-signing at the start of last season.Dean Solomon is likely to be the interim coach, but this has not been confirmed.Solomon and Hird are close from their days playing together.More to comeJake Niall is a Walkley award-winning sports journalist and chief AFL writer for The Age.Connect via X or email.Peter Ryan is a sports reporter with The Age.Connect via X or email.Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. 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