Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has urged the club to force themselves into making a tough decision regarding the next coach.
Reports this week are suggesting that Brad Scott is firming for the job despite Adem Yze being the one who had been seen as favourite prior.
It is understood that Scott, who serves as a football operations executive at the AFL, told the Bombers he would interview for the role at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
With that now the case, it is being perceived that the former North Melbourne coach is the frontrunner.
Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary reported as such on Monday.
“The Bombers’ interest in the AFL football boss has been bubbling for several weeks and will only go into overdrive now with the season over,” Cleary said on 7 News.
“It is understood Scott has held meaningful dialogue with Essendon in the past month and that will only increase off the back of appointment of director Andrew Welsh, who is a big Scott fan.
“Scott is now into favoritism for the role, ahead of Adem Yze, who has met with Essendon twice.”
Former Bombers star Lloyd is unsure about that notion but one thing he is certain about is that he wants to see the Dons give themselves a very hard choice to make.
He cites the GWS Giants’ coaching hunt which resulted in Adam Kingsley and had much less speculation surrounding it.
“At the Giants, there were no leaks that came out of that club,” Lloyd said on Sportsday.
“Everyone was saying that Yze was going to be the coach and they announced Adam Kingsley.
“At Essendon, nobody would have a clue at this point. Yze has been interviewed twice, James Hird, Dean Solomon, Brendon Lade.
“Now, you read between the lines.
“Brad Scott waited for the Grand Final to be run and won. He’s not been really that strong that he doesn’t want to coach at this point.
“I don’t know how people can be saying Brad Scott will be the coach. He may well get it, but we haven’t even seen or heard that he’s been interviewed.
“Until he gets in front of them, I don’t see how he could possibly have that job yet. He may well get it in a weeks’ time.
“At the end of it all, I’m hoping Brad does want the job and that they’ve got a hard choice to make.
“They’ve got to make a hard choice.
“If he said, ‘Wait until after the Grand Final and I would love to interview’, why would you rush it?”