Brad Scott’s Vision for Essendon: Building Culture and Success Amid AFL Coaching Concerns

Leading Through Transition

The 2025 season marks Brad Scott’s third year as Senior Coach of Essendon, and it’s proving to be a pivotal period for both the coach and the club. The team has undergone significant changes, with 20 list changes and an emphasis on acquiring talent through the draft over the last two years.

Contract Extension and Commitment

The Bombers have shown their faith in Scott’s leadership by extending his contract, which was already set to run until the end of 2026. Scott emphasized that ‘the club has been yearning for stability for a long time,’ and expressed his commitment to the team’s development.

Cultural Transformation

Under Scott’s guidance, the team is working to clearly define the Essendon culture, moving towards a player-driven leadership model where players are ‘keepers and protectors of the Essendon culture’. The focus remains on building a sustainable base for the club, rather than pursuing short-term success.

Industry Challenges

Scott has recently issued a dire warning about the future of AFL coaching ranks, urging the League to address coaches’ concerns rather than dismiss them as ‘nonsense’. As a former League footy boss, he claims the coaching fraternity has never been more ‘disenfranchised’. The situation has become so concerning that current players are reportedly reluctant to pursue coaching careers, with Scott noting that ‘players don’t want to do it’ when they see the challenges coaches face.

Looking Ahead

As of the latest season update, Essendon sits in 10th position with a 5-4 record. Scott maintains that ‘the small things matter’ and believes in a methodical approach: ‘day-by-day, do small things a little bit better than everyone else and stack them on top of each other and you end up getting a long-term result’.