Matthew Lloyd has urged Essendon to make a bold call in its search for a new coach after Brad Scott was sacked, saying the club cannot afford a cautious approach. Speaking on Sports Today after joining the program, Lloyd told Jimmy Bartel and Sam Docherty: "You’ve got to go all in."
The former Essendon star said the club should target the type of coach who can improve the group immediately, with the Bombers now under pressure to settle on a direction quickly. Since Scott’s departure, many names have been thrown into the mix for the job, and Lloyd made clear he believes the next appointment needs to be decisive rather than tentative.
Essendon’s coaching search has become the main football story around the club since Scott was sacked, with speculation widening almost as soon as the vacancy opened. Lloyd’s comments on Sports Today added weight to that debate because they came from a figure with deep ties to the club and a strong view on what sort of leadership is required next.
One name that has already surfaced in the discussion is James Hird, whose potential return to Essendon was also mentioned as part of the broader chatter. That alone shows how quickly the search has escalated from a routine succession process into a test of the club’s appetite for a major reset.
The tension for Essendon is plain: it can either chase a familiar figure or make a more sweeping decision about the direction of the program. Lloyd did not present it as a time for half-measures. His message was that if the club believes it has found the right person, it should commit fully and move fast.
That leaves Essendon with a choice that will shape more than the next season. The club has already acted once by sacking Scott. What it does next will say whether it is looking for stability, a clean break or something far more ambitious.
