McVeigh makes first move to fill Bombers coaching roles

New Essendon coach Mark McVeigh has contacted former Swans colleague Nick Malceski about a role at the Bombers.

McVeigh has hit the ground running at Tullamarine as he looks to build out a depleted football department after a turbulent year.

The new coach is also sitting down with players this week as the club conducts exit interviews, while he will also meet with Toby Greene who is considering a move back to Victoria.

But McVeigh’s coaching team is a big work in progress in the wake of several departures in the back half of 2026.

Assistants Ben Jacobs and Cam Roberts, strategist David Rath, psychologist Ben Robbins and development staffer Travis Varcoe have all left Essendon in the months since Brad Scott was sacked as senior coach.

The highly-rated Malceski spent the 2026 season alongside McVeigh at Sydney.

Malceski had been working as a development coach at Gold Coast before the Swans’ premiership defender this year moved back to Sydney as VFL coach.

Meanwhile, McVeigh says he will speak privately to Zach Merrett regarding his future at the club.

It has been widely suggested that the former Bombers captain will again seek a trade after his much-publicised attempt to get to Hawthorn fell over on deadline day last year.

McVeigh said he spoke to the six-time Crichton Medallist on his first day on the job on Tuesday, alongside the coaching staff, and says he plans to hold more private chats as the Bombers enter a new era.

The new Dons coach says he wants to ensure a champion of the club is respected, whichever way it goes.

“I’ll be honest, Zach and I will meet really quickly one-on-one in the next few days,” McVeigh said on SEN Breakfast.

“We actually met as a coaching group yesterday with him and it was more about his year and where he's at. It wasn't about his future.

“He would like to speak to me privately and I'll speak to him together and understand him. I'm big on making sure that your champions are respected. I'm absolutely massive on that.

“We've got to make sure we onboard people in our footy club really well. I think most clubs do it well, but do we exit them out? And I'm not saying that's Zach, but I want to be respectful in any player in that space. That we've got to make sure that they feel comfortable.

“And I need to know him. I don't know him as a person. He's obviously highly regarded. I want to know his thoughts and where he's at. I want him at the club.”