Hamilton has spent the past four-years as an assistant coach at the Adelaide Crows and was also an assistant coach with North Melbourne. Previously, he has coached a side in Tasmania and in the South Australian Football League.
Essendon chief operating officer, Travis Auld, said Hamilton is a valuable addition to the club.
“The Crows are regarded as one of the most professional football environments in the competition, so we know that Paul comes direct to us with some great experience,” Auld said.
“He has had a plan to move into football administration for some time and, as a result, completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree to compliment his football experience.
“We have been aware of Paul’s talents for some time and he is also a past Essendon player, having tallied 105 games between 1986 and 1992, so he understands our culture and enjoys the Essendon environment.”
Hamilton thanked Adelaide and said he was excited about returning to Windy Hill where it all began for him.
“I have worked under three senior coaches, and in different environments and cultures, so I bring a bit of experience and strategic awareness of where we can go as a football department,” Hamilton said.
“Fortunately there are still a few staff members at Windy Hill that I know from my playing days. I grew up near the club in Ascot Vale and it’s been a long journey from when I first played under/19s at Essendon in 1984 so I am excited to take on this new role and come back to my football roots.
“Essendon has a young playing list and coaching group and it’s an exciting time for the club - a new era is underway. Everyone I have spoken to at the club have been very welcoming and there is a real emphasis on the excitement about the place and I am looking forward to being part of that.”
Hamilton will commence with the club in a few weeks, after taking a short break with his family.
The appointment will free Auld from day-to-day operational activities to concentrate more on long-term club strategy.
“With two new clubs entering the AFL, and the expected challenging economic conditions, we need to make sure we have sufficient focus on the longer-term strategic priorities of the club,” Auld said.
“Paul’s role will be to oversee our football operations. He will work closely with Matthew Knights, the assistant coaches and our high performance team to ensure that we continue on the path of developing our list both on and off-field.
“We are really looking forward to Paul coming back to Essendon and, combined with the recent appointment of Stu Cormack as high performance coach, we are confident that we are assembling a football department equiped to return us to on-field sustained success.”
