Essendon’s coaching exodus has continued with another assistant coach about to leave the club, while Bombers great Tim Watson has taken aim at his former club for “dobbing” in Leigh Matthews for his comments about the club’s coaching process.
The Bombers confirmed on Tuesday that forwards coach Cam Roberts would leave the club at the end of the 2026 season, just like football department general manager Dan McPherson, whose departure was announced five days earlier.
They join senior coach Brad Scott, assistant Ben Jacobs and head of psychology Ben Robbins among those departing the club this year.
It was Matthews’ comments about the Bombers’ search for Scott’s replacement that lit a fuse on Saturday. The four-time premiership coach – one of the AFL’s most respected voices – told 3AW he would have “no confidence” to coach the Bombers under the current administration, adding: “If I was a coach, I wouldn’t be going to Essendon”.
The Bombers were privately upset with Matthews’ comments on Saturday when contacted by this masthead, given the Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend is a Brisbane Lions club director, but they went a step further on Sunday when chief executive Tim Roberts sent a transcript of Matthews’ comments to the AFL, as reported by Seven’s Agenda Setters.
Bombers president Andrew Welsh also contacted Lions chairman Andrew Wellington for an explanation of Matthews’ comments.
Three-time premiership great Watson, speaking on SEN on Tuesday, said Matthews, the former Hawks hard nut who clashed against the Bombers in three grand finals in the 1980s, was within his rights to comment.
“Leigh is very considered and has powerful conversations from time to time, and he’s very direct in what he has to say,” Watson, the former Bombers skipper, told SEN.
“He’s not somebody that goes out there looking for clickbait, he’s not a hot-taker. There’s enough evidence around to suggest that what he’s saying not completely untrue, either.
“I don’t know whether I would have gone to that degree, had I been at Essendon, that I thought, ‘OK, I need to go to the AFL and get some sort of comment from them’.”
The AFL will not take action against Matthews, insisting it’s a club-based issue.
When asked if there was an insecurity at the bottom-placed Bombers, Watson said: “I think there’s a lot going on at the club at the moment.
“They’re staring down the wooden spoon, they haven’t got a coach. I would have thought you’ve got much bigger things to worry about than dobbing someone in about what they’ve said.
“I would think the best thing you can do in this business is point at the scorecard. At the moment, their scorecard looks miserable, but when it looks better you can point at it and say this is where we’re at. But they’ve got a long way to go before they are at that point.”
A Bombers spokesman said on Tuesday the club had dealt with the Matthews matter on Saturday afternoon.
Cam Roberts’ stint at Essendon lasted seven seasons, starting as a development coach for the 2020 campaign.
“When I first arrived, I simply wanted to contribute and help people improve. To have had the chance to work alongside such committed players, coaches and staff over the past seven seasons has been a privilege,” Roberts said.
Jacobs and Robbins quit in May in solidarity with Scott, while McPherson confirmed last week he would step down at the end of the season.
Tim Roberts thanked Cameron Roberts for his contribution.
“We appreciate that prior to appointing a senior coach there is always a level of uncertainty at AFL clubs. While we’re disappointed to see him leave, we completely respect his decision and thank him for everything he’s contributed to Essendon,” the CEO said.
The Bombers’ hunt for a new senior coach has been reduced to four candidates: club legend James Hird, Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham, Sydney assistant and former Bomber Mark McVeigh and Adelaide director of coaching Murray Davis, a former long-time Brisbane Lions assistant.
Caretaker coach Dean Solomon, a friend and former teammate of Hird and McVeigh, will this week have his first formal discussions with club hierarchy about the full-time job. But Solomon has publicly remained tight-lipped on whether he’ll seek the head coaching role.
Welsh, Tim Roberts, football director Ted Richards, vice president and ex-Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro and Essendon’s general manager of people and culture, Caroline Monzon, are on the selection panel.
Melbourne Victory great and former coach Kevin Muscat, and long-time opposition analyst at Collingwood and Hawthorn John Wardrop have supported the panel, challenging the candidates on their leadership credentials and game style.
Formal interviews are continuing this week, the Bombers hoping to confirm their appointment by the end of next week as they restructure their football department, including the men’s and women’s programs.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.
