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Why Brad Scott’s contract extension doesn’t surprise Essendon great Tim Watson
Lachlan Geleit • March 12th, 2025 8:58 am
Essendon coach Brad Scott has had his contract extended until the end of the 2027 season.
While he was already contracted until the end of 2026, the Bombers decided to add another year onto his deal.
The story was initially broken by Nine’s Tom Morris and the club confirmed it on Tuesday by announcing the news to their supporters.
Essendon President David Barham told the club’s website that he feels the extension ‘reflects the club’s confidence in his leadership and serves as a statement of stability and alignment’.
Bombers great Tim Watson is another who echoes Barham’s stance on Scott as he sees the club and coach aligning on where they stand in terms of a list build over the next few seasons.
He discussed the extension and breaking story with Morris on SEN Breakfast prior to the club’s announcement.
Watson: “What happened at Essendon yesterday? You’ve broken a story about an extension for Brad Scott.”
Morris: “That’s right. So Essendon and Brad Scott are deep in discussions with his management around an extension beyond the end of 2026.
“He's contracted for this year and he's contracted for next year in 2026, but it will be confirmed that he'll get at least another year on top of that.
“What are your thoughts on that, Tim?”
Watson: “It doesn't surprise me at all because I think they've got a very clear handle on exactly where they're at as a club.
“They are desperate for somebody like a Brad Scott to be able to see it right through to where they believe it needs to be.
“That’s in terms of the decisions they're going to make over the next couple of years to build a list that's capable of competing for a flag.”
Scott has coached Essendon since the start of the 2023 season. The club has finished 11th in both 2023 and 2024 with 11 and 11.5 wins respectively.
The Bombers begin their 2025 campaign with a Round 1 clash against Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.
