Coach Men's Coaches 2025 - Coaching Structure Announced

[eth-dog]

Essendon 2025 AFL coaching structure ​

Senior Coach – Brad Scott
Assistant Coach (Midfield) – Daniel Giansiracusa

Daniel Giansiracusa

Age

42

Ht

182cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.6

4star

K

11.0

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

10.2

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

5.2

5star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.0

4star

Assistant Coach (Stoppages) – Brent Stanton

Brent Stanton

Age

38

Ht

183cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.1

4star

K

10.7

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

0.9

3star

No current season stats available

D

16.8

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.6

3star

Assistant Coach (Defence) – Ben Jacobs
Assistant Coach (Forwards) – Cam Roberts
Coaching Innovation & Game Strategy Manager – David Rath
Development Coach/VFL Senior Coach – Dale Tapping
Development Coach/VFL Assistant Coach – Michael Hurley

18

Michael Hurley

Age

34

Ht

193cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

6.4

5star

T

0.9

3star

MG

389.3

5star

D

16.5

4star

K

11.8

5star

HB

4.7

3star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.3

1star

MG

301.2

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.4

5star

M

5.0

5star

T

2.0

4star

Development Coach/VFL Assistant Coach – Travis Cloke

 

[Lore]

 

[eth-dog]

Nothing like shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic

 

[Petrify]

Our D50 work better improve or Ben Jacobs head should be on the chopping block.

 

[BuffDog]

I don't love the lack of experience amongst the assistant coaching group

 

[eth-dog]

I don't love the lack of experience amongst the assistant coaching group

Lack of experience? It's pretty much the opposite.

Jacobs is the least experienced having coached for 4 years.
Gia has been going around for a decade coaching wise
Stanton's entering his 8th season as an assistant
Roberts was a VAFA head coach for 3/4 years and has been with us for 6 years
Tapping has been coaching for 15 years or so

Like it's honestly annoying the lack of someone fresh.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I completely forgot Cara went back to the tigers till I saw that Tapping took over as VFL coach

 

[Donflicted]

Seen people say good things about Roberts

 

[ghostdog]

Not sure how Jacobs remains. I know we've had trouble with injuries down back but the defence looked awful at times, especially pressing too high up and getting caught in transition too often.

As well, we have a number 1 draft pick small defender who is underachieving and consistently bites off more than he can chew. He needs support and needs to be coached to make more judicious decisions to bring out his best. Is Jacobs the guy to do that? Hasn't thus far.

 

[eth-dog]

Not sure how Jacobs remains. I know we've had trouble with injuries down back but the defence looked awful at times, especially pressing too high up and getting caught in transition too often.

As well, we have a number 1 draft pick small defender who is underachieving and consistently bites off more than he can chew. He needs support and needs to be coached to make more judicious decisions to bring out his best. Is Jacobs the guy to do that? Hasn't thus far.

He's the least experienced coach we have.

Let's be real here, Gia, Stanton and Roberts should be in the firing line ahead of him.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Not sure how Jacobs remains. I know we've had trouble with injuries down back but the defence looked awful at times, especially pressing too high up and getting caught in transition too often.

As well, we have a number 1 draft pick small defender who is underachieving and consistently bites off more than he can chew. He needs support and needs to be coached to make more judicious decisions to bring out his best. Is Jacobs the guy to do that? Hasn't thus far.

Agree with most of what you said but I actually thought we looked better overall when we pressed high. Problem was other than ridley/heppell none of the other guys had the smarts to position themselves as the sweeper.
When we pressed higher up mckay and co were taking intercepts on the wings and kicking back into F50. When the backline went back to positioning deep majority of intercepts were in defensive half and that's when the panic handballs/sideways kicks started to creep back into the game.

 

[P Money]

Obviously judging from afar as I have no idea what they're like as coaches, but aside from Scott and Gia this is a pretty uninspiring coaching panel. Never saw Stants as particularly intelligent (from watching him play or hearing him speak), or much of a leader. I know less about Jacobs but from memory seemed to be a b grade tagger. Both from fairly unsuccessful periods of their respective clubs. Would have loved to see us nab a more highly respected assistant (like a Leppitch for example).

Edit - slightly concerned to hear that Heppell is keen on getting into coaching as I can't see the club being able to resist the lure of getting him back in the fold. And zero disrespect meant to him, but I think we need to move on to a new chapter with a new brand of leadership without him.

 

[ghostdog]

He's the least experienced coach we have.

Let's be real here, Gia, Stanton and Roberts should be in the firing line ahead of him.

I would have thought Gia must be doing something right, for Caldwell and Durham to have developed as well as they have. As well, I was under the impression that our stoppage numbers had improved (?), so I would have thought Stanton okay on that basis.

Roberts I'd agree with. Forwardline has been shite but not helped by poor delivery either. That said, Draper's work forward showed improvement, while Menzie and Davey seemed to have stagnated.

Maybe I was a bit rash. Maybe Jacobs needs support.

 

[ghostdog]

Agree with most of what you said but I actually thought we looked better overall when we pressed high. Problem was other than ridley/heppell none of the other guys had the smarts to position themselves as the sweeper.
When we pressed higher up mckay and co were taking intercepts on the wings and kicking back into F50. When the backline went back to positioning deep majority of intercepts were in defensive half and that's when the panic handballs/sideways kicks started to creep back into the game.

I don't have any issue re playing a high press, just when we insisted on pressing too far up and got stung. Against Sydney comes to mind, and I think Freo and Adelaide as well, which we were lucky to win.

Re the sweeper role, hopefully that is solved by Hayes. I'm just not confident in what I saw of our backline, but as I replied to Eth, maybe I'm being a bit rash.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I don't have any issue re playing a high press, just when we insisted on pressing too far up and got stung. Against Sydney comes to mind, and I think Freo and Adelaide as well, which we were lucky to win.

Re the sweeper role, hopefully that is solved by Hayes. I'm just not confident in what I saw of our backline, but as I replied to Eth, maybe I'm being a bit rash.

yeah I get it, Im not confident in our backline either. I think thats a big reason why they kept going back to Heppell as there are a lot of headless chooks back there.

I just think personally I would rather they play the high press and accept that we will sometimes get opened up out the back while its in its infancy and players are learning their roles, as it helps us more with the attacking side of the game.

 

[ghostdog]

yeah I get it, Im not confident in our backline either. I think thats a big reason why they kept going back to Heppell as there are a lot of headless chooks back there.

I just think personally I would rather they play the high press and accept that we will sometimes get opened up out the back while its in its infancy and players are learning their roles, as it helps us more with the attacking side of the game.

Martin sweeping as well where necessary if he's in the backline again, but yeah I agree re Heppell. We really need Ridley on the park again now, and even Redman to rediscover those directorial and lead-by-example qualities he'd demonstrated in '23.

High press is fine in conjunction with demand on mids and forwards that their pressure needs to step up; they did to an extent but need to ratchet it up another notch and more consistently again. It must be on the agenda still - Stringer's out. Can I trust a guy like Perkins will follow Kako and Caddy and Jones's lead in this regard? Time will tell.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Martin sweeping as well where necessary if he's in the backline again, but yeah I agree re Heppell. We really need Ridley on the park again now, and even Redman to rediscover those directorial and lead-by-example qualities he'd demonstrated in '23.

High press is fine in conjunction with demand on mids and forwards that their pressure needs to step up; they did to an extent but need to ratchet it up another notch and more consistently again. It must be on the agenda still - Stringer's out. Can I trust a guy like Perkins will follow Kako and Caddy and Jones's lead in this regard? Time will tell.

There's so many unknowns about our best 22 next season. This was basically what most journos said at the start of this year. I don't know if that's exciting or deflating

 

[Schnitzengruben]

We're still persisting with Stanton and Jacobs? We're serious about our team culture, yet jobs for the boys in the coaching department.

 

[dank420_]

Stanton lives in a broom closet at the Hangar.

 

[Zach Package]

Brad bringing small club mentality to Essendon.

We could literally have anyone we wanted provided we could trick them into working with Brad Scott. Instead we have a bunch of cut priced battlers and scungers.

 

[Godzke]

All eyes on Cam Roberts
Moving on Dale Tapping was priority #1
I know he's had a tough run with his health, but we needed change
Giving him VFL senior coach duties was a polite thing to do