June 26, 2026 — 10:20amEssendon have revealed the criteria for their next senior coach and will speak to 10-15 candidates either with senior coaching experience or highly rated assistants.On Friday, the Bombers also announced the panel to select the new coach, which will feature president Andrew Welsh, vice president Anthony Di Pietro, board members Ted Richards and Tim Roberts, and HR executive Caroline Monzon.Bombers president Andrew Welsh.Getty ImagesWhile no external people are on the panel, the Bombers said they would “draw on subject matter experts from both within the club and outside it to inform our assessment and decision-making”.James Hird, the former champion and coach who has signalled public interest in the role, will be among the candidates that the panel speaks to.The club said that reports Welsh had endorsed Dean Solomon, his friend and former teammate who is interim coach, for the permanent role, were incorrect. Solomon could still decide to nominate for the process. It is an open process with no requirement that applicants be “an Essendon person” or have a Bombers background.In revealing their criteria on Friday in a letter to members, the Bombers said “development and connection are major priorities for our emerging list, as are our culture, environment and overall football structure” and that the new coach would be aligned with the club’s strategy.“We have spent the past month consulting with our board, executive, football staff, coaches and players on what the success profile looks like for the next senior coach of the club. This has been a detailed process to form the brief and criteria for our search,” the letter said,The Bombers feel that their panel has people with sufficient experience in external organisations – in Richards, who is a premiership player with the Swans, and Di Pietro, who has appointed coaches at A-League club Melbourne Victory.“Our next coach will inherit a group with its best football ahead of it and the opportunity to shape a team capable of consistently competing for finals and premierships,” they said in a letter to members.“Unsurprisingly, there has already been strong interest in the role, both publicly and privately.“We are confident in our direction, and equally confident in the coach we will appoint to help lead us there.”Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.Jake Niall is a Walkley award-winning sports journalist and chief AFL writer for The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners