AFL 2026: Coach search latest at Essendon Bombers and Carlton Blues, James Hird, Josh Fraser

The Essendon coach hiring process has “officially ramped up”, with the club reportedly contacting 10 candidates on Monday about taking part.

Meanwhile, a former Collingwood teammate of Josh Fraser has strongly endorsed him for the Carlton job – despite Fraser’s “genuine upset” at having to repeatedly take the same stance.

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The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph said the Essendon race had “officially ramped up”, with “coffee dates” set to take place over the next two weeks.

It comes as James Hird had already been confirmed as one of those names, with a host of highly-rated assistants set to enter the race for the mantle.

“Today, Essendon began the process of contacting 10 senior coaching aspirants, and it’s asking them to apply for the club’s vacant role,” Ralph told Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

“And the very strong message from Essendon tonight is they (candidates) are not scared off by this task – not by the spectre of James Hird, and certainly not by the spectre of the rebuild and how significant it might be.

“Those chats will take place in the next fortnight, then they will progress through to four or five of those people potentially putting in full submissions to the coaching search.”

Headlining “likely” names in that bunch, according to Ralph, is James Hird, while Dean Solomon, James Kelly, Hayden Skipworth, Daniel Pratt and James Rahilly are also thought to be in the mix.

“The Essendon view is those aspirants realise a lot of the heavy-lifting has been conducted with the last couple of years of drafting,” Ralph said.

“The question those coaches would have to ask themselves is whether they would survive the rebuild. So, they’re open to a coffee date.

“Right now, James Hird has a plan to save Essendon. It is a compelling pitch. His dream is very much still alive tonight.”

Lions great Jonathan Brown believes Solomon isn’t a genuine chance of winning the role, with Hird’s presence looming large.

“I feel like the longer this goes for Dean Solomon … I don’t think it’s going to be his job … if you keep losing in this manner,” Brown said.

“I still feel as if Hird and Solomon together would be a combination that would be attractive to the Essendon hierarchy.

“And it feels like the longer this goes, the more and more Hirdy comes into the picture.”

Hawthorn champion Jordan Lewis, who was on the 2022 Essendon panel that decided on hiring Brad Scott, said Hird “would still be a fantastic coach”.

“The list demographic, I think, is in a good spot. Where they need to beef up is their development,” Lewis said.

“So, I don’t mind the James Hird (case), and conversations around Dean Solomon are where do his strengths lie – it probably is in development, and teaching the ground-level habits of these players coming through.

“But having experience on James Hird presenting, I still think he would be a fantastic coach. And I think it would be a decision that would galvanise this club.

“It’s been a club, whether they like it or not, that has been run by the players, since the drugs saga.

“(The players) have had a big say on a lot of things … I think, at the end of the day, would James Hird mend all those relationships and grab the club back from the players – I think he would be the perfect candidate.”

Putting aside player personnel, Nathan Buckley said the “major issue” at Tullamarine had been the off-field instability.

“I think every one of those candidates will be asking the panel … about the stability off-field,” he said.

“Because that has seemed to be the major issue for Essendon throughout the last 10 or 12 years.

“It doesn’t seem to me like the Essendon Football Club has been 100 per cent aligned for a long time.

“You really need to strip all of it back – whoever you end up appointing needs to be supported 100 per cent, and everyone needs to fall into line for that club to have a chance.”

The Bombers’ panel comprises president Andrew Welsh, CEO Tim Roberts, vice-president Anthony Di Pietro, former player Ted Richards and people and culture boss Caroline Monzon.

Over at Carlton, Collingwood premiership captain Nick Maxwell has publicly endorsed Josh Fraser as the Blues’ permanent senior coach.

It comes as a report emerged on Monday night stating the private conversation around Fraser has “dramatically changed” in the past three weeks.

Nine journalist Damian Barrett believes things have shifted and that Fraser will eventually enter the race.

“Whatever they (the Blues) are saying privately, I feel it has changed pretty dramatically in the past three weeks, as to how they are going to approach this,” Barrett said on Footy Classified.

“The slight softening of (Fraser’s) own language around being involved – I do think there comes a time when he is officially involved.”

That’s despite Fraser’s insistence that he isn’t ready for the job on a full-time basis, with Ralph reporting on Fox Footy that the interim boss has become “genuinely upset” at having to reiterate that fact.

“I’ve spoken to Collingwood premiership captain Nick Maxwell tonight – he’s a great mate of Josh Fraser – he says that Carlton needs to twist his (Fraser’s) arm and tell him to get into this race,” Ralph told On the Couch.

“He thinks he’s the perfect man for the times, even though it’s a bit of an unconventional background.

“Fraser is genuinely upset that he has to keep repeating himself. This is not a ruse, this is not a deflection – he does not believe he’s ready to go into this coaching race.

“He’s aware of the David Teague Syndrome … and Carlton is taking him at his word (that he doesn’t want the job).”

Ralph added that Carlton insiders he’d spoken to were “shocked” that Fraser was chosen over Ash Hansen to be the Blues’ caretaker post-Michael Voss.

“Ash had been there for five years … he had player support, but Graham Wright backed in (Fraser), because he knew that he could do something special,” Ralph said.

“So, now, it’s up to Fraser to start believing in himself. But he does not want this job yet.

“It might be that Carlton has to convince him, ‘you are our man, take a step forward and put your hat into the ring’.”

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said Fraser “has not put a foot wrong”.

“He’s been selfless, he’s been measured, he’s been consistent,” he said.

“He’s been respectful of the past, and Vossy in particular … and he’s come across with a strong humility. He must be connecting with the players well …

“We’ve seen Cottrell with the harmonica, bringing George Hewett back in … these are all the decisions – he wouldn’t be making them on his own, but he is at the head of that program.

“The other point that you can’t ignore is seven games, seven wins.”