By Roy Ward
Essendon’s board will meet on Sunday to decide the future of coach Ben Rutten, as new Bombers president David Barham denied on Friday that the board has considered club great James Hird as a potential replacement.
Rutten will coach the team on Saturday night against Richmond, at the end of a week in which the Bombers launched an unsuccessful chase of Alastair Clarkson to take over coaching position.
Barham also apologised for not calling Rutten on Monday when he started the club’s pursuit of Clarkson. Barham, who replaced Paul Brasher as Bombers president on Monday, said the situation was “really horrible”.
“I should have called him Monday, and I apologise for that,” Barham said. “I called him Tuesday, went and saw him at his house on Wednesday; I got that wrong.
“Players are disappointed they weren’t more consulted, and again I have to live with that.”
When asked if Hird was in consideration to coach the club next year, Barham said that hadn’t been discussed, and he didn’t know if Hird was interested in the role. Hird is currently an assistant coach at Greater Western Sydney alongside former teammate Mark McVeigh, who is interim coach at the Giants.
Hird, 49, quit Essendon as senior coach in 2015 after a 12-month ban for the club’s drugs scandal, which had devastating and long-lasting effects on the Bombers on and off the field.
“I’m not sure what Hirdy has to do with it. No one has spoken to Hirdy,” Barham said. “Does he want to?”
Rutten said on Friday he would coach the team until told otherwise, and he still believed in the direction his side was going in.
“My focus has been on my players and preparing for this week’s game,” Rutten said.
“As I’ve said before, I’m the coach of this footy club and I’ve made a commitment to serve the members and players, and I’m going to continue to do that the best I can until someone tells me otherwise.”
Barham refused to say if Rutten would be fired on Sunday, and said he could still coach the side in 2023 if that was the decision made at the meeting.
“We have obviously got a plan B, we will meet as a board on Sunday and put that plan into action,” Barham said.
When it was put to him that supporters wanted to know what was happening now, he responded: “They will know on Sunday.”
New Essendon president David Barham on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
Asked if Rutten was coaching his last game for the club on Saturday night, Barham said: “That is to be decided on Sunday.
“I don’t want to talk about that really because ‘Hurls’ [Michael Hurley] is playing his last game. That is a big deal. I want Ben to be able to coach the last game [of the season] and we would really like to win.”
When asked if the board knows what kind of coach the club needs, Barham paused and then deflected his answer to Sunday’s meeting. “Yeah, that’s part of what’s going to be worked out on Sunday.”
Rutten thanked everyone, including his players and coaches, who had supported him and his family through the week.
“Fundamentally I’ve made a commitment to my football club, the members, supporters and my players to coach them as well and as hard as I can, and I’m not going to let them down now,” Rutten said.
“Now is the time when they need strong leadership, strong direction and I’m going to provide that.”
Rutten said he hadn’t had any contact with Alastair Clarkson this week, and he had received an apology from Barham for not telling him on Monday they would be chasing the former Hawthorn boss.
“I’ve spoken to Dave and he said there were some things if he had his time again, he would do them differently,” Rutten said.
Coach Ben Rutten at Essendon training on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
“By him acknowledging it, I think that helps. I don’t think he was entirely pleased with how things have transpired this week, but things have moved quickly.”
Rutten said he didn’t know what to expect on Sunday and would only focus on Saturday night’s game.
He said he wanted Barham to understand the direction of the football program.
“It’s important that he understands what we’re building here and the direction we’re going as a club and I have got a lot of belief in what we’re doing here at the football club and about the football program where we’re going useful,” Rutten said.
“If anything, the way that all the staff, the coaches and the players have conducted themselves this week has strengthened that.
“Some of those things you like to look at is how our people respond under pressure and when the tested, when they’re stretched and the way that footy department has conducted itself has been first class.”
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