Longmire leaves Sydney after 25 years to join Essendon
Essendon has signed Sydney great John Longmire as its new general manager of performance, ending his 25 years with the Swans.
The Bombers confirmed the appointment on 28 September 2026. Longmire will start this week, ahead of the trade period — the window when clubs swap players and draft picks. Essendon Football Club
The role is newly created. Essendon said Longmire will oversee game strategy, player development, leadership, the coaching group, performance analytics and strength and conditioning. ABC
It reunites him with Mark McVeigh. McVeigh served as an assistant under Longmire in Sydney and is now Essendon's first-year senior coach.
Longmire, 55, leaves Sydney as its longest-serving senior coach. He joined the Swans as an assistant in 2002, shared in the 2005 premiership — the club's championship — and then took over from Paul Roos as head coach.
He held the top job for 14 seasons. Sydney won the 2012 premiership under him, reached five grand finals, the league's championship deciders, and played finals in 12 of those 14 years.
The numbers stack up. Longmire coached 333 games for a 63 per cent winning record. He stepped down after the 2024 grand final loss to Brisbane, handing to Dean Cox, and most recently worked as Sydney's executive director of club performance.
Essendon needs that experience. The Bombers finished last on the ladder in 2026 before making the call.
What makes this stand out is the shape of the job. Longmire had ruled himself out of senior coaching vacancies elsewhere. This is not a return to the coach's box. It puts a premiership coach above and around a rookie coach, in charge of how the whole football program runs.
