Matthew Knights today told media he feels confident he will remain as coach of the Bombers next season despite recent media speculation suggesting otherwise.
Knights, who still has two years remaining on his contract, says he plans to honour his contract with the support of Chairman David Evans and CEO Ian Robson.
“The reality is that I’ve got a legally binding contract for the next two years. I plan to honour that contract and stay the course and I’m solely committed to the players and the Essendon Football Club,” Knights said.
“I’ve got an unbelievable belief in the integrity of David Evans and Ian Robson and of the board of the Essendon Football Club, in the faith that they’ve shown in me and the way that they’ve indicated, even in the last month or so, how they want to stay the course and see this thing through.
“I’ve got a real passion for the players at the Essendon Football Club, I believe in the list and the talent and we’ve got to mould this group and have patience and bring them through together.""
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Essendon has won just seven games this season despite suffering a number of injury concerns throughout the course of the year - including setbacks to ruckman David Hille and defenders Dustin Fletcher, Cale Hooker and Tayte Pears.
Knights admitted the Bombers had failed their pre-season expectations by not making finals this season but says the playing and coaching group had shared optimism in their ability to turn their form around over the off-season and emerge as a contender in season 2011.
“The reality is, we’re not going to play finals football and that was our aim at the start of the year,"" Knights said. 
 
""The year has been a failure but we have to work in the summer, on our defensive aspects and improve. It’s not a mountain to climb, you’ve only got to pick up in a few different areas.
 
“I feel strong, I feel energetic and enthusiastic because the players that I deal with on a daily basis: Mark McVeigh, Jobe Watson, Jake Melksham and Scott Gumbleton, they give you that energy and enthusiasm.
 
“You can see it in their eyes that they want to make it big time one day and take this club back there.
 
""They know that it’s a challenge and they’re as gutted as I am about the way that we’ve been playing in the last fortnight. They’re the ones that keep you ticking because you know that they’ve got belief in you.""
 
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