Kevin Sheedy will coach Essendon until the end of the 2007 season after signing a three-year deal earlier today. The Bomber coach is hungry for further grand final success, wanting to add to the four premierships he has already won as coach at Essendon.

Sheedy was appointed as senior coach of Essendon in 1981. He is now in his 24^th season and has coached the Bombers on 558 occasions. He has been victorious 360 times and has only missed the finals five times since he was appointed.

Essendon chairman Neil McKissock said the board was unanimous in the decision to extend Sheedy’s contract. ""The relationship between Kevin Sheedy and the Essendon Football Club has gone past that just of an employer and employee,"" McKissock said.

""It is very much a partnership and we look forward to what lies ahead. I would like to congratulate Kevin on his latest contract and I wish him all the very best for the future,"" he said.

Sheedy dismissed any possibility of him wanting to go to Richmond next year. ""I have spoken to past players at Richmond and I am very close to that group of people. In the end, Richmond might have wanted to move down another road anyway and that is none of my business though.

""Essendon had the foresight to put a contract on the table very early. I looked at what we have got here at Essendon and what we have built here and it has been a pretty exciting building program.""

Sheedy spoke frankly about the future of two of his assistant coaches – Mark Harvey and Robert Shaw in the wake of speculation that they are targets for senior coaching positions at other clubs.

""I think in Mark’s case he is good enough to be an AFL coach. I the opportunity came up for him to coach at an AFL club, we wouldn’t hold him back in regards to interviews,"" Sheedy said.

""I have sat down with Mark and I said if you actually really want to go for a job, you will get my support.""

""I know Robert has been pursing some courses in management because I am not sure for how long he wants to coach for. He has a great passion and love for football pretty similar to myself. All our futures as coaches are in our own hands - you have to have talent and ability and all my coaches have that,"" he said.

Kevin Sheedy’s coaching fact file: