Coach Men's Coaches 2026 - Solomon becomes backline coach, McLean joins as development coach

[eth-dog]

Essendon 2026 AFL coaching structure ​

Senior Coach – Brad Scott
Assistant Coach (Midfield) – Ben Jacobs
Assistant Coach (Stoppages) – Brent Stanton

Brent Stanton

Age

39

Ht

183cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.1

4star

K

10.7

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

0.9

3star

No current season stats available

D

16.8

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.6

3star

Assistant Coach (Defence) – Dean Solomon

Dean Solomon

Age

45

Ht

189cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.8

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

5.5

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.7

5star

No current season stats available

D

17.6

5star

K

13.4

5star

HB

4.2

4star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.8

5star

Assistant Coach (Forwards) – Cam Roberts
Coaching Innovation & Game Strategy Manager – David Rath
Development Coach/VFL Senior Coach – Cameron Joyce
Development Coach/VFL Assistant Coach – Michael Hurley

18

Michael Hurley

Age

35

Ht

193cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

6.4

5star

T

0.9

3star

MG

389.3

5star

D

16.5

4star

K

11.8

5star

HB

4.7

3star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.3

1star

MG

301.2

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.0

4star

Development Coach/VFL Assistant Coach - Ricky Dyson
Development Coach/VFL Assistant Coach – Toby McLean

16

Toby Mclean

Age

29

Ht

181cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

9.0

3star

HB

10.7

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

2.4

4star

D

15.5

4star

K

6.5

3star

HB

9.0

4star

M

1.3

1star

T

3.5

4star

CL

2.0

4star

D

16.8

4star

K

8.2

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.8

3star

Ruck - Goldy

 

[thepokey]

Hird's going to be the "football person" to join the board, isn't he?

 

[ant555]

Hird's going to be the "football person" to join the board, isn't he?

I think that may be the play. He is building his media profile and his work at Port is only because he wants to share a bit of footy time with his son. I personally do not see coaching for him now but I could be wrong. I see him more as future president.

 

[ant555]

As for Solly. I am not sold on him being a good coach.

 

[thebigboy]

So in short Essendons factions used Merrett to overthrow the board and he had no issue with it because he thought he was leaving. Now Barham and the breath of competency is gone. A board seat has opened up for one of Sheedy or Dodo and solly is going to be getting things ready for a return from exile.

What a shit club

In what world do you actually believe Dodoro is going to end up on the board? Like, disagree with Solly as assistant coach all you want, but Dodoro on the board is zero chance

 

[eth-dog]

What did Gia ever do then, based on the success of whatever line he was looking after? Caracella?

Cara was at Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond before here. Three pretty successful clubs. Just saying.

 

[thebigboy]

This late in the piece? Who is available?

Suspect that this was always going to be an issue for us. We’d have had to have had one of the last assistant coach vacancies in the league and all the best candidates would have been secured before Gia announced he was going to the dirty nappies.

The optics of the move aren’t great, but at least he’s experienced. Our assistant coaching group is pretty ordinary as it is, so I suspect we had to go with someone who’s been in the role before.

 

[DERO]

Didn’t GCS sack him for being shit?

He undermined their coaching selection process if I recall correctly. He wanted the job and tried to manipulate the players into speaking out to help him keep his job.

He has struggled to find a job since that. I’m with Eth dog on this one and not just because of the lack of process with his appointment.

 

[ghostdog]

He undermined their coaching selection process if I recall correctly. He wanted the job and tried to manipulate the players into speaking out to help him keep his job.

He has struggled to find a job since that. I’m with Eth dog on this one and not just because of the lack of process with his appointment.

Great. Just the kind of person we need. A sycophant to the president and he's manipulative and coercive where he shouldn't be as well.
Everything's coming up ****ing roses.

 

[bomberlegend2007]

I would like to think, in my glass half full opinion, this is a way that Welsh is appeasing the old guard by saying we have an Essendon person in the coaching panel.

 

[ghostdog]

I would like to think, in my glass half full opinion, this is a way that Welsh is appeasing the old guard by saying we have an Essendon person in the coaching panel.

...and now there's a vacant board seat.
Let's see how much more 'appeasement' is needed.

 

[Howard Moon]

If Hird wants to coach, it would seem that empty board seat is the shortcut to the job. Perfec

 

[nipst@r]

When do tassie join? At this rate we are all jumping ship yeah?

My two favourite players of all time solomon and hird are the two ppl i want least involved in coaching essendon.

Never meet your idols, efc run like a local footy club. Honestly there is more governance and due process at most top level suburban footy clubs.

Across all of australia there was zero accredited coaches able to be a afl assisstant? BS

Poor players

 

[faible]

In what world do you actually believe Dodoro is going to end up on the board? Like, disagree with Solly as assistant coach all you want, but Dodoro on the board is zero chance

This IS Essendon. If any club was going to appoint their disgraced former list manager who lodged an unfair dismissal claim to a board seat it would definitely be us.

 

[Lore]

This IS Essendon. If any club was going to appoint their disgraced former list manager who lodged an unfair dismissal claim to a board seat it would definitely be us.

Zero chance is still a pretty good chance when it’s Essendon

 

[jannissary]

dodoro joining the bored would be extremely funny - would he need to give his fair work cash back? absolutely reeks of jobs for boys, though

 

[bommer16]

Dean Solomon

Dean Solomon

Age

45

Ht

189cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.8

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

5.5

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.7

5star

No current season stats available

D

17.6

5star

K

13.4

5star

HB

4.2

4star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.8

5star

isn’t the worst option.
He’s passionate about the club. Good player.

 

[faible]

Dean Solomon isn’t the worst option.
He’s passionate about the club. Good player.

I don’t care if he was a shit player who hated the club.

Can he be a good assistant coach?

Gold Coasts defensive performance while he was there doesn’t fill me with promise he can.

 

[fairbump_playon]

It's believable really.

They lost Gia with almost no notice and were filthy about it. Didn't have much time to search for a new assistant, not many available. Turn to the guy who you know can coach and you've tried to recruit in the past. I don't think it's a wild conspiracy

Careful. You’re talking sense.

Solomon has a lot of assistant experience

And writes a good email

 

[jdstorm]

In what world do you actually believe Dodoro is going to end up on the board? Like, disagree with Solly as assistant coach all you want, but Dodoro on the board is zero chance

Essendon have a history of doing the stupidest thing possible so I typically assume that’s what’s going to happen. (Outside of Rosa who’s good at his job)

The board literally just had a special session to make themselves responsible for any Merrett trade. I don’t think anything is off the table

 

[bommer16]

I don’t care if he was a shit player who hated the club.

Can he be a good assistant coach?

Gold Coasts defensive performance while he was there doesn’t fill me with promise he can.

Yeah I understand. Maybe Ess find themselves in this predicament bc of its recent lack of success. I’m not exactly hearing any news about the best of the best beating down the door to put efc on their cv. Who else was available instead of DS? If Zach has endorsed the move it might be just a way to help him feel a bit better about why he was retained and gives him some input about what or who can assist with the gaps in their game.

At this point, any defensive coaching added to the side is better than none bc the team need all the help they can get.

 

[thebigboy]

I don’t care if he was a shit player who hated the club.

Can he be a good assistant coach?

Gold Coasts defensive performance while he was there doesn’t fill me with promise he can.

In fairness, we've had a lot of highly qualified people who've been good elsewhere and sucked on the job with us.


On paper, and without any inside knowledge of how the coaching department has operated in the past, I don’t think he’s any worse than Jacobs, Roberts, or Stanton. Whether he’s part of the old boys’ club is hard to say. There’s certainly a strong case for it. But equally, at this stage of the year, the options are limited, and at least he brings experience to what’s otherwise a pretty inexperienced & ordinary coaching group.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

I would be more excited if Solomon spent his 8 years at a club contending compared to a basket case Gold Coast. Loved him as a player though.

We should be getting a highly rated Senior Assistant from a club like Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane etc to take over from Brad in 12-24 months.

 

[EnolaGay]

i love it! if he can coach half as good as he can send an email, we are on the right track!!

What's he like with spreadsheets?

 

[thebigboy]

Essendon have a history of doing the stupidest thing possible so I typically assume that’s what’s going to happen. (Outside of Rosa who’s good at his job)

The board literally just had a special session to make themselves responsible for any Merrett trade. I don’t think anything is off the table

If it actually happened, it’d be right up there in the hall of fame of stupid decisions. I just can’t see a world where he’s ever seriously considered.

The article on the website made it clear they’re looking for someone with a “football background.” I’d take that to mean a playing background, which probably opens the door for Hird to return to the club. Personally, I’d prefer they look outside and consider someone like Jimmy Bartel, who was highly regarded during his time as GWS’s football director, but we all know our fans wouldn’t go for that and probably would vote him off the board the minute an old boy put his hand up.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Is there some ancient aboriginal burial ground at Tulla or something? We seem cursed to do the most ******ed shit imaginable