Matthew Lloyd Says Essendon Must Go All In on Next Coach

matthew lloyd says Essendon cannot treat its next coaching appointment lightly after Brad Scott was sacked. The Essendon great told Jimmy Bartel and Sam Docherty the club has to go all in as it works through a field that has already filled with names.

“You’ve got to go all in,” Lloyd said on Sports Today.

Essendon Coaching Search

That is the clearest line in a coaching search that has already moved fast since Scott’s sacking. Lloyd also spoke about the type of coach he would want Essendon to target and improve, making the appointment the central football decision for a club trying to reset quickly.

Many names have been thrown into the mix for the job. James Hird is among the figures being discussed, and that possibility has only sharpened the scrutiny around what kind of candidate Essendon should choose next.

James Hird Debate

The Hird conversation has brought a familiar name back into the frame. Sheedy said of Hird’s potential return to Essendon: “Takes a special type of person.”

That line fits the wider problem for Essendon. The club is not just replacing a coach; it is deciding what profile it wants at a time when the discussion has already widened beyond one candidate. Lloyd’s call for a full commitment suggests the next appointment needs to be decisive, not cautious.

Brad Scott Exit

Scott’s sacking changed the direction of the club’s offseason immediately. Since that announcement, the conversation has shifted to who can improve Essendon and how bold the club is prepared to be in making the call.

For supporters, the next step is simple: watch which direction the club takes with the vacancy. The names keep circulating, but Lloyd’s view leaves little doubt about the standard he wants Essendon to set before it chooses the next coach.