The Bombers secured Rutten from Richmond, where he had a strong role in helping to build the Tigers' defensive press that had been crucial to their recent success. The former All-Australian defender, who retired at the end of 2014 after 229 games with the Crows, took over from John Worsfold as senior coach after the 2020 season as part of the club's coaching succession plan. The 2021 season will mark his third at the Bombers.
A vital member of the Bombers’ 2000 premiership team, Blake Caracella enjoyed a decorated career as a player that spanned 187 games at Essendon, Brisbane and Collingwood before he embarked on his coaching career. Caracella served as an assistant coach at Collingwood in 2007, before moving to Geelong in a seven-season stint under Chris Scott, including the Cats’ 2011 premiership campaign. In 2017, he joined Richmond under former teammate and Tigers senior coach Damien Hardwick, serving as offence coach for their two premiership seasons. 2020 marked Caracella’s first season on the Bombers’ senior coaching panel, where he oversaw the midfield and attack.
Fresh from being named the AFL Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year, Daniel Giansiracusa joined the Bombers' coaching panel in October 2020 from the Western Bulldogs. After a stellar 265-game career for the Bulldogs, Giansiracusa immediately transitioned into a coaching role at Whitten Oval in 2015, tasked with overseeing the club’s forward line before moving into stoppages and set plays. By 2019, he took the reins as Footscray’s senior coach and led the team to a finals berth in his first year at the helm.
Dan Jordan joined Essendon at the start of 2016, having two seasons with the development group. He was then appointed Essendon VFL's head coach prior to the 2018 season, guiding the VFL Bombers to consecutive preliminary finals. Jordan left his VFL post to step up into an assistant coaching role in 2020, taking care of the Bombers' forward line.
James Kelly is highly regarded inside Essendon for his work with the development group, focusing on the younger players and taking care of the Bombers' backline. The triple Geelong premiership player and ex-Bombers defender retired at the end of 2017.
Leigh Tudor joined Essendon in December 2019, leading the Bombers’ development program - the Jack Jones Academy - for the first-to-fourth-year players. He arrived at the club with a wealth of playing and coaching experience, playing 68 games for North Melbourne (eight) and Geelong (60) respectively, before transitioning into a coaching role. During his time as a coach, Tudor steered Geelong’s VFL side to a premiership in 2007 before making the move to St Kilda where he was involved in the Saints’ two Grand Final appearances in 2009 and 2010. Tudor then worked at Sydney alongside John Longmire in 2012 where he was involved in their premiership the same year. Tudor joined the Kangaroos’ coaching panel in 2013 where he led the midfield line and most recently the forward line, in what was a seven-year stint at Arden Street.
In what is a non-traditional pathway to the coaching ranks, Cam Roberts brings a wide range of experience working both in football and the corporate world. Joining Essendon in December 2019, Roberts' most recent position involved leading the Melbourne University Blacks Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association. His experience off-field includes working at the Australian Prostate Centre, focusing on developing help-seeking behaviours to address health and wellbeing. His understanding and passion for welfare will assist in his role working closely with the Bombers’ development players.