Essendon coach Ben Rutten sacked: David Barham and Xavier Campbell explain why and what’s next
After it was spurned by Alastair Clarkson, Essendon has begun its search for sacked coach Ben Rutten’s replacement. A legend of the club and Port’s coach are among those in the Bombers’ sights.
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The Bombers sacked Ben Rutten after three hours of “rigorous discussion” at Sunday’s off-site board meeting, even though some directors and chief executive Xavier Campbell fought hard to save the 39-year-old’s coaching career.
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President David Barham phoned Rutten to tell him his contract had been terminated before calling captain Dyson Heppell, vice-captain Zach Merrett and deputy vice-captain Andy McGrath.
Players were invested in Rutten and were disappointed to learn his fate.
Ross Lyon, Don Pyke, Adam Simpson (West Coast) and Hinkley appear to be the best-credentialed experienced coaches who could be gettable.
Nathan Buckley is not interested in the job.
Hinkey is contracted for 2023 at Alberton but could be enticed with the security of a long-term offer.
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The Bombers will appoint external figures to their coach selection panel, which will be locked in this week.
That process will run simultaneously with the external club review that Barham insisted on.
Hird coached the Bombers from 2011-13 and in 2015 and has spent the past three months as an assistant coach at GWS.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has given the league’s blessing for Hird to return to a senior job.
Board member Kevin Sheedy is driving Hird’s return to Tullamarine and has some internal support.
Barham said he had not spoken to Hird.
Sunday’s board discussion at Melbourne Jet Base centred on whether Rutten deserved a longer stint.
Rutten, 39, departs after 44 games for 17 wins and 27 losses.
“This was not turn up this morning and have a vote, this was three hours of rigorous discussion,” Barham said.
“Everybody got their say, everybody had a view and we made a really considered decision because we cared a lot for Ben.
“This was a long conversation. We think we gave Ben as good an opportunity as we could.
“But we think this time and with this list a more experienced coach might be able to get more out of this list.”
Impatience drove the decision after a generation of failure and five uncompetitive losses by at least seven goals this year.
“This decision comes down to we’ve got young people who have not seen Essendon success,” Barham said.
“My daughter’s 21 – hasn’t seen us win a final. Members, fans, supporters – they want to see us have success.”
The Bombers have not won a final since 2004, when Sheedy was coach.
Sheedy last week undermined Barham’s pursuit of Alastair Clarkson with provocative radio comments baiting the master coach to choose North Melbourne.
“I rang (Sheedy) up, but it’s no big deal,” Barham said.
“But he understands now that when he’s speaking he’s representing the board,” Barham said.
“Sheeds has been on the board for seven months. Sheeds is learning about being on boards.
“Let me tell you – boards are not easy, and the first few years you’re on a board you are learning.
“I would suggest Sheeds is doing some learning, but he’s incredibly valuable to our board.”
Barham was adamant the Bombers were an attractive destination despite the past week’s upheaval.
“We’re a great club. We’ve got big matches, we’re an attractive club to coach – I would expect people to be interested in coaching Essendon,” he said.
“We’ve got a good list, we’ve got some room in our salary cap, we’re a big club”
Barham conceded the Bombers erred in not pursuing Clarkson earlier in the season.
Dons explain why they sacked Rutten – and what’s next?
Essendon will target an experienced coach to replace Ben Rutten, who was sacked at a marathon board meeting on Sunday morning.
New president David Barham phoned Rutten as well as on-field leaders Dyson Heppell, Andy McGrath Zach Merrett to break the news the board had terminated the contract of the second-year coach the players heavily supported.
Barham would not be drawn on whether club legend James Hird would be involved in the coaching process.
An external figure is expected to sit on the coaching appointment panel, which will be finalised this week.
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Chief executive Xavier Campbell claimed Rutten’s payout, believed to be $600,000, would not inhibit their spending under the 2023 soft cap.
They sacked Rutten because of multiple uncompetitive performances in 2022.
Barham regretted not actively pursuing Alastair Clarkson months earlier. Clarkson signed at North Melbourne on Friday after dismissing Essendon’s 11th-hour approach.
The Bombers will push on with their external review simultaneously with the coach hunt.
“We think we’re after a more experienced coach,” Barham said.
“We think a more experienced coach might be able to get more out of this list, and we want to give this list the best chance.”
“We think we’ve got ability, we think we’ve got promise … (and) a good, young list.”
“The board meeting today was a rigorous discussion, we all had different points of view.
“It went for three hours. It wasn’t a small discussion, it was a really long discussion.”
Barham expected Campbell and football boss Josh Mahoney to remain.
Asked if there would be board changes, Barham said: “I don’t think so”.
It’s official: Rutten sacked
Essendon has sacked senior coach Ben Rutten after more crisis talks at a Sunday morning board meeting.
The Bombers have decided to officially move on from Rutten after publicly undermining him with its desperate bid for Alastair Clarkson last week.
There was little hope the relationship between Rutten and the board could be repaired after keeping Rutten in the dark about the Clarkson mission on Monday.
Rutten on Saturday night admitted he was disappointed in the way he had been treated and said the players craved stability.
The sacking means the club will have to payout Rutten’s contract for 2023.
It is expected to cost the Bombers about $600,000 which will go into Essendon’s soft cap next year, on top of the costs for a new senior coach.
The players fiercely defended Rutten at a series of heated internal meetings on Friday when captain Dyson Heppell and other players and staff took aim at Essendon president David Barham.
Barham, who is already under siege only one week into his reign, is expected to speak again at a press conference on Sunday.
He said the club will now take time before deciding how it goes about its search for a new senior coach.
“We will thoroughly and diligently consider our next steps and in due course, will communicate the process of our next senior coach appointment,” Barham said in a statement.
The new chair thanked Rutten’s contribution to the club but admitted the performances at times this year were “uncompetitive.”
“The unfortunate reality is, at various stages this season; we have simply been uncompetitive. And while we acknowledge that we have an emerging playing list, we were compelled to make the decision.
“We know this has been an incredibly tough time for Ben and his family, and broadly, our whole club. We wish to thank Ben, as well as wife Kylie and children Jack and Bernie for their contribution to the Essendon Football Club.
“Ben’s commitment and care for this playing group was second to none, and we thank him for his dedication to what we recognise is an all-consuming role as senior coach.
“Our members and supporters do, and should, expect better from a proud football club. We appreciate this has been a difficult chapter for our Club. But as I said in my President’s address pre-game yesterday, we will be a bold and courageous football club again. We need to return to being a successful football club.
The club will now begin its search for a new coach from a list of candidates including Port Adelaide’s Ken Hinkley, former Fremantle and St Kilda coach Ross Lyon, Richmond’s Adam Kingsley and Melbourne’s Adem Yze who is expected to land the vacant GWS job from Monday.
The Bombers’ board met on Sunday morning to help decide the next steps for the club after a tumultuous week.
The future of chief executive Xavier Campbell is also up on the air with two years to run on his contract.
Campbell is strongly tied to Rutten after helping orchestrate the John Worsfold – Rutten coaching succession plan.
There is also disappointment at club level at Essendon legend and director Kevin Sheedy who strangely said Clarkson should take the North Melbourne job as part of a bizarre interview on Adelaide radio during the week.
Football manager Josh Mahoney delivered a detailed internal review focused on making improvements for next year under Rutten but that submission was rejected by the board.
Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd said sacking Rutten was the right call.
“This has to happen,” Lloyd said on Channel 9.
“I’m behind Dave Barham. Yes he handled that (press conference) poorly, but he’s making change.
“It needs to happen and it’s long overdue.
“Yes he’s been on the board for seven years but he has watched this for seven years.
“He hasn’t had control, he’s now in control.
“It (board) has to be fractured for him to get to go where it has to get to.”
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