AFL 2023: Tim Watson calls for Essendon to choose between Adrian Dodoro and Josh Mahoney

As the Brad Scott revolution formally gets underway, simmering tensions at Essendon remain amid a shake up of the football department.

Essendon club great Tim Watson has called on the Bombers to choose between football boss Josh Mahoney or recruiter Adrian Dodoro as coach Brad Scott tightened his match committee group for the 2023 season.

Under Scott’s changes veteran recruiter Adrian Dodoro, who attended some match committee meetings under Ben Rutten, will now be strictly responsible for list management, recruiting and talent.

Dodoro was not an official part of the Essendon match committee but as part of a realignment of three senior management positions, new CEO Craig Vozzo has set more concrete boundaries for 2023 onwards.

Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

Is there an issue between Dodoro and footy boss Josh Mahoney? Picture: Michael Klein

The changes are part of Vozzo’s determination to improve the club’s mediocre football performance since 2004.

Dodoro will now report directly to the new chief executive instead of Mahoney in a move that factors in Vozzo’s expertise in list management and talent.

But given Mahoney and Dodoro’s faltering relationship dating back to last season it helps reduce the crossover in their roles.

Watson said on Thursday of Mahoney and Dodoro’s issues that: “If you’ve got a problem there, then you’ve got to fix it. And it may mean that one of them has to go”.

Mahoney will still sit on the list management committee but given Dodoro answers to Vozzo instead of his football boss it remains to be seen how that will improve their working relationship.

Craig Vozzo in his former role as West Coast list manager.

New coach Brad Scott is set to report directly to Vozzo instead of Mahoney, who will continue to take responsibility for the club’s four teams.

Vozzo was hired as a chief executive with football expertise so will leave no stone unturned to help the football department but it seems clear one of the figures will eventually have to move on for Essendon to seek the stability it needs.

Essendon has not ruled out making continued changes as early as this season under Vozzo’s mandate to improve a club which has not won a final since 2004.

It comes at a critical time for the club which must make key decisions on how many draft picks to retain in an upcoming superdraft while also spending some of its $3 million in salary cap room.

The Dons also have key free agents Darcy Parish and Mason Redman out of contract as well as best-and-fairest winner Peter Wright.

The club made wholesale changes last year including a new coach and president but Vozzo’s delayed arrival after the club moved on Andrew Thorburn after a day meant the football department overhaul drifted into March.

Free agent Darcy Parish is in the last year of his current contract.

Premiership legend Watson told SEN Radio the club had to find harmony off-field and said it might be an easy decision for Vozzo over which of Dodoro and Mahoney to retain.

“Simple decision, is it not? You work out who’s the most important person and you keep them,” he said.

“If it’s interrupting the smoothness of decision-making ... then yes, you’ve got to move somebody on. I don’t know if it’s interrupting,” he said.

“Maybe they’ve worked out some way of dealing with the (conflict). If you’ve got a problem there, then you’ve got to fix it. And it may mean that one of them has to go.

“You owe it to your fans. Ultimately, you’ve got to make decisions for your football club that are going to give you the opportunity to be successful for your fans to follow. So that’s what you need to do.”