Essendon appoint Daniel Pratt as senior assistant under new coach Mark McVeigh

The big off-field signings have continued at Essendon, with Daniel Pratt leaving the Western Bulldogs to become the Bombers’ senior assistant under new coach Mark McVeigh.

Just two weeks after appointing Sydney premiership coach John Longmire as the general manager of performance, Essendon announced they had poached Pratt from the Bulldogs.

Pratt had been an assistant at the Bulldogs since late 2023, and he was named the AFL Coaches Association assistant coach of the year in 2024.

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Prior to that Pratt spent almost a decade at West Coast, first as a development coach and then as the backline coach, playing a key role in the club’s 2018 flag.

The 43-year-old was also West Coast’s AFLW coach in 2021.

Pratt took part in both the Carlton and Essendon coaching processes earlier this year, and had also expressed an interest in coaching North Melbourne following the sacking of Alastair Clarkson.

As a player, Pratt played 119 AFL games, 116 with North Melbourne and three with the Brisbane Lions.

Pratt’s arrival at the Bombers helps offset the loss of Dean Solomon, who was Essendon’s interim coach last year following Brad Scott’s sacking, but has since moved to NSW to be closer to family.

“Daniel is one of the most respected assistant coaches in the game, and his peers recognised that when they named him Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024,” Longmire said in a statement.

“He’s been part of a premiership program and has worked across strong football environments at West Coast and the Western Bulldogs, including AFL and AFLW.

“Team defence is an important area of focus for us as we continue to build our game, and Daniel’s experience in defensive coaching will be a valuable addition to our program.”

Pratt said he was excited to be joining Essendon for the start of a new era at the club.

“There’s a real chance to help build this into something special and that is clear in my recent conversations with Mark and John,” Pratt said.

As part of the sweeping changes at Essendon, Brent Prismall has come in as head of development, while Shane Mumford was signed as a development coach.

Collingwood’s senior assistant Hayden Skipworth has also been sounded out by Essendon for a role in the new-look coaching set-up under rookie coach McVeigh.

Meanwhile, St Kilda have appointed Matthew Brewer as the team’s AFLW interim coach for the remaining three games of the season following Nick Dal Santo’s decision to stand down.

Dal Santo signed off on a winning note last week, with the Saints holding on for a two-point win over Collingwood to post their first triumph of the season.