BREAKING: Brad Scott axed in $2m Bombers bombshell as details of morning sacking emerge
Essendon has sacked Brad Scott after four and a half seasons as season coach.
The Bombers on Tuesday morning confirmed theyâd parted ways with Scott with a year to run on his contract.
An Essendon press conference at 12.45pm (AEST) on Tuesday is expected to take place.
Itâs understood Essendon president Andrew Welsh informed Scott of the decision when the two met face to-face on Tuesday morning.
âUltimately, whilst we know we are a young team, we are not comfortable with our current position which led us to meet as a board to assess and make a decision on the future of the senior coach position,â Welsh said in a club statement.
âWhen looking at the overall progress of our football team this season, it was agreed that we needed a fresh voice to take the club forward for the 2027 AFL season.
âOnce that decision was made, it would have been unfair to have Brad continue as coach any longer and that is why we have brought this decision forward to today.â
It comes during a miserable one-win season for the 18th-placed Bombers including a damning Dreamtime loss to Richmond last weekend.
That includes Scottâs side having won just one of its past 24 games dating back to an injury-savaged 2025 season, which ended in former captain Zach Merrett trying to leave the club.
Essendon has sacked Brad Scott (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Assistant coach Dean Solomon is expected to assume interim coaching duties for the remainder of 2026.
Sevenâs Tom Morris reported the Bombers board met over the weekend, while SENâs Sam Edmund revealed the decision to move Scott on was made on Monday night.
The Herald Sun reports Scottâs dismissal will cost the Bombers a massive payout in the realm of $1.5-$2 million, given he was contracted until the end of 2027 in an extension given in March last year by former president Dave Barham and ex-CEO Craig Vozzo.
Scott took over as Essendon coach ahead of the 2023 season, guiding the club to 29 wins from 80 games during a period the Bombers have rebuilt their list.
Despite growing pressure on his position, Scott last week on Fox Footyâs AFL 360 was unwavering in his commitment to Essendonâs long-term plan and expected club bosses to see it through with him.
However Walsh suggested the clubâs damning win-loss record and lack of progress had become too hard to ignore.
âWhile long-term decisions have been clear and provide great hope for our future, we still need to show progress week to week, and we havenât seen that this year,â Welsh said.
âThese are genuinely difficult decisions, and we do not take them lightly but the cumulative nature of our losses and the key performance indicators set by the Club at the start of the season are not trending in the right direction.
âIn recent years we have transitioned our playing list, overhauled our high-performance department and enhanced our list and recruiting division and today we made the difficult decision to change our senior coaching structure.
âWe have been extremely clear on the strategy and direction of our football club. We are building the next successful era for Essendon, with a view to playing finals, winning finals and competing for premierships.
Welsh continued: âThere is a lot to be gained from the second half of the season and we wonât waste the opportunity to develop and improve our performances.
âWe know recent times have been hard for Essendon people, and we feel that deeply. We are confident the best days for this football club are ahead of us and we are excited about the future.â
A big reason for their struggles has including ongoing defensive issues flagged by Roos great David King on Fox Footyâs The First Crack earlier this month.
âI donât see it,â King said.
âI know the coach said âeveryone can see what weâre doingâ â I donât see it.
âThis, to me, just looks haphazard, and under-12s footy at times. They all charge at the ball, (and) Fremantle holds width ⊠this happened for 70 minutes, until I think Fremantle said âOK, letâs put a few things awayâ.â
Scott, 50, was in his second senior coaching run after leading North Melbourne from 2010 to 2019.
It marks the second big coaching domino to fall after Michael Voss resigned from Carlton earlier this month.
Along with the Tasmania Devils, it means thereâs now three clubs in the market for a senior coach.
Thereâs certain to be a spotlight on Essendon great James Hirdâs potential return to the club in what would be a polarising move after Hird was sacked in the fallout from the supplements saga.
Former Essendon captain Tim Watson believes thereâs a strong pull from Essendon people to get Hird back to the Hangar.
âI get the feeling thereâs a very, very strong push from a lot of (Essendon) people out there to get James back at Essendon coaching,â Watson said on SEN radio.
âI do not know whether or not he wants to put himself through that process, he put himself through the process last time.
âI believe (Hird was) next in line. It was a choice between Brad and James Hird, James was second based upon that interview process.â
It comes three games out from Essendonâs mid-season bye, with contests against West Coast (Optus Stadium), Carlton and Melbourne (both MCG) before it.
Source: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/essendon-bombers/afl-2026-brad-scott-sacked-as-essendon-bombers-coach-coaching-record-details-contract-latest-news-updates/news-story/
