Has James Hird just revealed where Essendon’s exhaustive coaching search is heading?
The Bombers great has pointed towards former teammate Mark McVeigh as the man increasingly likely to replace Brad Scott, declaring the Sydney assistant “knows he’s got the job” as Essendon prepares to make one of the most important appointments in its history.
According to Yahoo Sport Australia’s report, Hird made the striking observation after progressing through the club’s coaching process himself.
However, one fact needs to be made clear: Essendon has not officially announced McVeigh—or anyone else—as its next senior coach.
McVeigh emerges as the favourite
Essendon’s final group of candidates reportedly includes Hird, McVeigh, Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham and Adelaide coaching director Murray Davis.
Interim coach Dean Solomon withdrew from contention after taking charge following Scott’s dismissal in May.
McVeigh has since emerged as the apparent frontrunner, with his combination of Essendon history and extensive experience outside the club making him an attractive option.
The 45-year-old played 232 games for the Bombers between 1999 and 2012 before moving into coaching. He spent almost a decade at Greater Western Sydney, including 13 matches as the Giants’ interim senior coach after Leon Cameron’s departure in 2022.
Hird worked alongside McVeigh at GWS during that caretaker period, giving him first-hand knowledge of how the former midfielder operates.
McVeigh joined Sydney in 2023 and now oversees the Swans’ backline and team defence. He has worked under premiership coach John Longmire and current senior coach Dean Cox while continuing his development through the AFL’s Elite Coach program.
“I definitely hope to be a senior coach one day,” McVeigh told AFL.com.au earlier in the season.
“The end result is hopefully to become a senior coach in the near or distant future, for sure.”
Hird’s remarkable coaching backflip
Hird’s involvement in the process represents a dramatic change from his public position in May 2025.
At that time, he categorically denied wanting to coach Essendon—or any AFL club—again.
“I haven’t got ambitions,” Hird said on Footy Classified.
“I’m loving what I’m doing with my son down at Port Melbourne, and that is the extent of it.”
Scott’s departure and Essendon’s continued decline prompted a change of heart. Hird publicly declared his interest in returning shortly after the position became vacant.
“If the club came to me and said, ‘Would you be part of that process?’, I would definitely say yes,” he said.
“It is something I’d love to be part of, to pit my wares against the other coaches and see if I’m the best man for the job.
“If I’m not, choose the best man and let’s go forward and make it the best club in the AFL again.”
Hird subsequently interviewed for the position and advanced to the final stage, 11 years after his previous Essendon tenure ended in 2015.
His coaching record with the Bombers stands at 41 wins, 43 losses and one draw from 85 matches across the 2011–13 and 2015 seasons. He was suspended for the entire 2014 campaign over his role in the club’s supplements program.
McVeigh offers history without the same baggage
Essendon has spent years wrestling with the tension between reconnecting with its successful past and finally moving beyond it.
McVeigh could offer the club both.
He understands Essendon, played in 12 finals for the Bombers and maintains strong connections to the club. Unlike Hird, however, most of his coaching education has occurred elsewhere.
McVeigh developed players through the Giants Academy, worked as an AFL assistant at GWS and has since gained experience inside Sydney’s respected football program.
That outside education could be crucial for a club that has frequently been accused of looking inward for solutions.
The Bombers have not won a final since 2004 and are again facing a significant rebuild. Their next coach must oversee the development of a young list, repair confidence and establish a clear football identity while dealing with the enormous scrutiny accompanying every Essendon decision.
Appointing Hird would dominate headlines and reopen arguments surrounding one of the most painful chapters in the club’s history.
McVeigh would still represent an Essendon homecoming—but without turning the appointment into a referendum on the supplements saga.
Hird’s comments may prove premature, and the Bombers insist they have conducted a thorough process involving all four finalists.
But if McVeigh really does “know he’s got the job”, Essendon’s latest search may already be effectively over.
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