Turbulent Bombers pull the pin, sack embattled coach

Anna Harrington |

Brad Scott has been sacked by Essendon with 18 months still remaining on his contract.
Brad Scott has been sacked by Essendon with 18 months still remaining on his contract.

Essendon have sacked coach Brad Scott with over a year remaining on his contract.

Scott, 50, pays the price for the Bombers’ dismal start to the AFL season, having won just one of their first 11 games.

The final straw was seemingly Essendon’s ugly loss to Richmond on Friday night that anchored the Bombers to the bottom of the ladder.

Essendon this year also equalled their club-record losing streak of 17 games, which included the final 13 matches of their 2025 campaign.

The Bombers famously haven’t won a final since the 2004 elimination final and that unwanted streak is set to continue this year.

Brad Scott.
Brad Scott’s 80th and final game as Bombers coach was the Dreamtime loss to the Tigers. (Scott Barbour/AAP PHOTOS)

Essendon’s only win this season was over Melbourne in Gather Round in early April, with few highlights bar those provided by youngsters like Sullivan Robey, Dyson Sharp and Nate Caddy.

Scott departs after 80 games at the helm, for 29 wins, 50 losses and one draw.

The former North Melbourne mentor signed a one-year extension through to the end of the 2027 season in March 2025.

That was supposed to deliver stability to the battling Bombers.

But Essendon are now on the hunt for their third senior coach in five seasons.

Dean Solomon looms as a potential interim boss as the Bombers prepare to join Carlton, who recently parted ways with Michael Voss, in the race to land a senior coach.

Essendon next play West Coast away at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

Brad Scott.
Brad Scott was announced as new Essendon coach at The Hangar in late September 2022. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Scott replaced Ben Rutten at the end of the 2022 season and won eight of the first 13 games in 2023 before the club dropped off dramatically to miss finals.

The Bombers’ 2024 season suffered a similar fate, before Essendon endured a nightmare back end of 2025 – not helped by a horrific injury toll – that put Scott under pressure heading into this season.

Essendon held Zach Merrett to his contract after the then-skipper demanded a trade to Hawthorn, later relinquishing the captaincy.

Six-time best and fairest winner Merrett is widely expected to again seek a move away from the Bombers at season’s end as he chases success.

It is unclear whether Essendon this time would genuinely consider offers for their most high-profile player as a major rebuild looms.

AAP