Former Essendon captain Brendon Goddard says the club faces the prospect of setting itself back two decades if it doesn’t employ the right people following a mass shake-up.
The embattled Bombers are currently on the hunt for a senior coach, CEO and a number of board members after the incumbents departed earlier in the week.
Essendon president David Barham has indicated that the club will run an exhaustive process to find the successor to Ben Rutten, who was sacked last week.
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One of the names linked with the job is former Essendon coach James Hird, who was in charge during the club’s infamous supplements saga in 2012.
Despite the calamitous supplements program happening on Hird’s watch, a number of people within the club are happy to welcome back its prodigal son with open arms.
Essendon has indicated that it is happy for Hird to apply for the role, but it remains to be seen whether he opts into the process.
“He has to sort out whether he wants to, one, get back to coaching, and two, whether it’s at Essendon and put his hand up for that job,” Goddard told Nine’s Sports Sunday.
“It’s a line in the sand for Essendon, which is probably much needed, and if they don’t get it right after this I think it’ll set them back another 20 years.
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“Going backwards (to Hird), it’s a good story, the redemption story of Hird coming back.
“I’m of the firm belief and always said that he’s got the potential to be a great coach, (but) obviously what happened ruined his coaching career.
“I think a lot of Essendon people would happily have James Hird back at the footy club.”
Essendon is expecting for its next senior coach to be named by the end of September.
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