Updated July 28, 2026 — 3:34pm, first published 2:02pm
In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news: James Hird is among the candidates to advance to the next round of the Essendon coaching search. Collingwood spiritual leader Brayden Maynard is set for surgery on his leg. Essendon have settled on four candidates, including club legend James Hird, to move into the second phase of the selection process to fill their vacant senior coaching position.
Hird, Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham, Sydney assistant and former Bomber Mark McVeigh and Adelaide director of coaching Murray Davis have already met with club president Andrew Welsh, CEO Tim Roberts and board member Ted Richards as part of the initial coffee chat.
James Hird is a panellist on Footy Classified and the coaching director of VFL club Port Melbourne. Nine Two competition sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the four candidates will now move to the next phase of the process, which will include interviews by Melbourne Victory great and former coach Kevin Muscat, and long-time opposition analyst at Collingwood and Hawthorn John Wardrop.
That pair has been invited to be part of the process to complement the current selection panel of Welsh, Roberts, Richards, club vice president and ex-Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro and the Essendon’s general manager of people and culture, Caroline Monzon.
The Bombers were keen to include coaching experts in the selection process as they sort through the candidates.
Mark McVe
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