Essendon assistant coach Nathan Bassett is excited to work with the club’s playing group and coaching staff in 2014.

Bassett joins the Bombers after winning back-to-back premierships as coach of SANFL side Norwood in 2012 and 2013 following a 210 game playing career with the Adelaide Crows.

“I have been at two clubs for the last 16 years or so and it is a big change to end up in a new environment but it is certainly exciting,” Bassett said.

The 36-year-old is looking forward to working alongside two-time premiership coach Mark Thompson next season.

“I like the way Mark Thompson talks about footy and the way he talks about people,” Bassett said.

“There is something that is reasonably unique about him, he is great to listen to and pick up information from.”

“At the start of my footy career Malcolm Blight was a different type of coach but he was fantastic to listen to.”

“I heard Brenton Sanderson at a coaches dinner just before I came over talk about how great it was to learn off Mark Thompson being in the coaches box at Geelong.”

“That presents a great opportunity for me.”

There is a South Australian flavour to the Bombers coaching group next season, with Bassett joining former teammates Simon Goodwin, James Byrne and Hayden Skipworth, as well as his former coach Neil Craig.

Craig was Bassett’s first senior coach when he first started playing senior football as a 15 year old for Norwood in the SANFL.

“Craigy is a great operator, really well organized, an excellent communicator and as a player he bought out the best in me.”

“Simon (Goodwin) and I played footy with for a long time, Hayden Skipworth and James Byrne are also here who I played with.”

“Goody I know is very competitive, a hard worker and has a strong desire to win.”

Stay tuned to BomberTV later this week for a full interview with the newly appointed assistant coach.