Essendon have appointed former Sydney premiership coach John Longmire as their new head of performance, bringing him into the club’s football department alongside first-time senior coach Mark McVeigh.
Longmire will oversee football operations and have responsibility for game strategy, player development, leadership, the coaching group, performance analytics, and strength and conditioning.
The appointment is a major move by president Andrew Welsh and chief executive Tim Roberts as Essendon rebuild their football department and seek to attract players and coaches.
Longmire, 55, coached Sydney in five grand finals and guided the Swans to the 2012 premiership. He stepped down at the end of 2024 to make way for Dean Cox and has spent the past two seasons in a performance role at the club.
He was considered for the head-coaching position at the future Tasmania club before Ken Hinkley was appointed, but chose not to enter the race to replace Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne.
Longmire has a long-standing relationship with McVeigh, who worked as an assistant coach under him at Sydney. He said he was looking forward to supporting the new coach and the wider Essendon staff.
“I’ve known Mark [McVeigh] for a long time and have worked with him as well. He is passionate about the Bombers and has a clear vision for the team,” Longmire said.
“I look forward to supporting both he and the staff as the club looks to take the necessary steps back towards being a consistent team who challenge the opposition every week.”
Longmire was also prominent at Sydney as the club supported its senior players through the fallout from the Pullman Hotel scandal, after five players missed the finals because of their behaviour following a round 23 match against Essendon.
