Adrian Hickmott has accepted a new full-time position with the Essendon Football Club in player development for 2010.

 

General manager of football operations, Paul Hamilton, said the search is now on for a new coach of the Bendigo Bombers to replace Hickmott.

 

""Adrian will be an excellent full-time addition to the Essendon football department working in player development,"" Hamilton said.

 

""He is great at working with and developing our young players and has an excellent relationship with them.

 

""Essendon took some big steps this year - especially with our younger footballers - and Adrian will be focusing on improving our current players further and fast-tracking our next wave of youngsters from the draft.

 

""He will work closely with our assistant coaches and Matthew Knights and we are confident his appointment will further strengthen what is already a very solid football department.""

 

Hamilton also confirmed that Essendon will re-align with the Bendigo Bombers for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

 

He said both clubs had addressed a range of issues associated with the alignment and thanked Bendigo's major sponsor, the Bendigo Bank.

 

""Bendigo had a very tough year and there is a lot of hard work to do but everyone involved is committed to the challenge,"" Hamilton said.

 

""We need to draft some good, new players and keep developing the young Essendon listed players that will provide some spark to the side in 2010.

 
""We also want to make sure the players train together more as a group - especially pre-season - to help them bond as a team. Another big change is that Bendigo will not field a reserves team next year."" 
 
Hamilton said that the Bendigo alignment will be a different format and more detail about the changes will be announced soon.