Solomon dismisses Essendon coaching feud rumours: 'Home and Away stuff'

Interim Essendon coach Dean Solomon has flatly rejected suggestions of a rift with Mark McVeigh and James Hird over the club's senior coaching role, comparing the rumours to a TV soap opera. Solomon said he was "bitterly disappointed" at the idea he would refuse to work under either man, should either land the top job (7News).

Solomon withdrew from the race to be Essendon's full-time coach and said there is no ill-feeling towards either candidate. He told reporters the speculation was "like an episode of Home and Away" (ABC News). McVeigh, an assistant coach with Sydney, has been widely tipped as the favourite for the role. Hird, the Bombers' former champion player and senior coach, is also in the frame.

The three men share a long history. Solomon and Hird played together in Essendon's 2000 premiership side. McVeigh, a teammate that era, played in the losing 2001 grand final. All three later worked together briefly at Greater Western Sydney, where McVeigh served as the Giants' interim coach in 2022.

Solomon said McVeigh has been one of his best mates since the age of 15. He has known Hird since he was 17. The bonds run deeper than football.

A key factor in Solomon's decision to step aside from the senior role was family. His wife and children live in northern New South Wales, and he had been away from them for 10 to 11 months while filling the interim post. That separation weighed on him.

Essendon are closing in on naming their next senior coach, with an announcement possible as soon as next week. Solomon said the successful candidate does not need to be an "Essendon person" — someone with a prior playing or coaching link to the club. He pointed to Kevin Sheedy, the legendary coach who grew up barracking for the Bombers but played his football for Richmond before arriving at Windy Hill and building a dynasty. The implication: the right person matters more than the right résumé.

For Essendon fans, the message from Solomon is straightforward. The interim coach who steadied the ship after Brad Scott's mid-season exit has no interest in a soap opera. He just wants the club to pick the best person — and he is willing to work under whoever that turns out to be.