The Essendon board will meet tomorrow night and chairman Neil McKissock said that Kevin Sheedy's contract extension would be on the agenda. ""As has been reported in the press Kevin has responded to our offer of an extension to his contract that was made a couple of months ago. The board is considering that and we will respond accordingly in the short-term I would expect,"" McKissock said just prior to the Dick Reynolds Club luncheon earlier today.

McKissock confirmed that one of the things Sheedy has requested is a three-year-deal. Ideally McKissock would like a decision made on Sheedy's contract as soon as possible, but couldn't confirm if this would happen tomorrow night at the board meeting. ""It has been a couple of months since we made the initial offer to Kevin. We are not going to rush into the process. We would expect to progress the issue though because we obviously want to settle it as soon as we can.

""I have said all along that the board hopes and expects Kevin will continue to coach the Essendon Football Club and that is still our position of the board,"" he said.

McKissock was not perturbed about the recent speculation of Richmond attempting to poach Sheedy as a replacement for current coach Danny Frawley next season. ""They (Richmond) may try and do that - they may have already spoken to Kevin - but it is out of our control. We can't control that aspect,"" McKissock said.