Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell has shut down talk as to whether the club’s senior coaching succession plan would be brought to a halt as the industry continues to deal with the AFL suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Probed on Channel Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday night, Campbell was strong on the club’s position between John Worsfold and his successor Ben Rutten.

“There is no chance of that,” Campbell said. 

“It is a priority for us (this handover period). We’ve got a plan in place, and we intend to stick to that plan. Having seen the way Ben and John have been working together closely, I feel really comfortable with how it’s going. It remains imperative for us that they continue to spend time together (this year) to ensure an appropriate handover."

Admitting to "one of the hardest weeks of my professional life" following the forced stand-down of approximately 80 per cent of the Essendon workforce, Campbell was adamant that despite the challenges, the club would survive.

“Obviously all clubs are at the centre of this, it’s an unprecedented situation. It’s incredibly complex but we will get through it. We’ll get through it because we’re a united industry and clubs are working very closely together and closely with the AFL,” he said.  

“One of the most challenging aspects at a time like this is the decisions, and the incredibly hard decisions for that matter, around staff and the particular circumstances clubs are finding themselves in. 

“From the administration side of the business, we were forced to stand down around 80 per cent of staff last week. And in terms of our football department staff, and with the visibility of the needed reductions around football department spend for next year, we’ve had to make even harder decisions. This has included redundancies, standing down about 80 per cent of staff here too, and it’s heartbreaking.

“Unfortunately given we’re where at, and the challenges that we have and the complexities around it, we needed to make those decisions.”

With the AFL industry determined to ensure home and away games would progress at some stage throughout the year, Campbell praised the club’s loyal membership base for their ongoing support of the football club.

“So many people are struggling at the moment. We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a strong membership base, a strong corporate partner base, but there’s no doubt there is going to be a very significant financial hit to our business, like all clubs and the league, and other industries generally.

“We’re continuing to work through this very complex matter in a united approach, but the healthy and safety of our people and the community more broadly remains paramount.”