Off Field Changes 2024/5

[s'dreams]

Blake Carecella is leaving

Essendon wishes to announce that VFL Senior Coach Blake Caracella will depart the club to take up an Assistant Coaching role with the Richmond Football Club next season.

A premiership winner with the Bombers as a player in 2000, Caracella returned to the club as an assistant coach ahead of the 2020 season following successful stints in similar roles with Richmond, Geelong and Collingwood.

After four years as an assistant coach, Caracella was appointed as VFL Senior Coach ahead of this season, playing a key role in the development of a new-look squad throughout the course of the season as the side won six of its final seven games, narrowly missing out on a finals spot.

GM – AFL Daniel McPherson thanked Caracella for his service to the club, highlighting his impact over a long period of time in different roles.

“Blake has been a terrific contributor to the Essendon Football Club, initially as a 126-game Premiership player and more recently in a number of different coaching roles from 2020-2024, including leading our VFL program this season.”

“We thank 'Cara' for his significant contribution to our club in recent years and wish him all the best in his new role with the Tigers.”

Caracella reflected positively on his five seasons at Essendon.

“I have many fond memories, both playing and coaching, at the Essendon Football Club. I wish the players and supporters success in the near future,” Caracella said.

[s'dreams]

I guess Carecella's departure is to be expected after he was demoted from Assistant Coach to VFL Coach.

So the person with the greatest amount of successful AFL premiership success and finals success ... being Assistant Coach at Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond when they won their premierships... is moving on.

Brad Scott's 4 finals wins (weren't 2 of these against Essendon?) from 8 finals over his 10 year career at North means he is the most experienced.

EFC Assistant Coaches
David Rath (2024). Coaching Innovation and Games strategy. Recruited from AFL house. Was the Wallabies 2023 learning coach.
Daniel Giansiracusa (2020) Assistant Coach midfield. From Bulldogs. (Has 1 GF win when assistant at Western Bulldogs)
Dale Tapping (2022) Assistant Coach Forwardline. VAFA background was coach of Collingwood VFL side.
Ben Jacobs (2023) Assistant coach Backline. Was at North under Scott. Was development coach at St Kilda for 2022 (1 year only) before EFC.
Brett Stanton (2022) Assistant Coach Midfield. Spent 4 years at Carlton before Coming to Essendon as VFL coach.
Cam Roberts (2019) Head of Development. Hurley, Stanton and Cloake report to him. VAFA Background. Was VFL Assistant coach.
Michael Hurley (2023) Assistant Coach Development with responsibility for development of 1st to 4th year players.
Travis Cloake (2023) Assistant coach Development. Was a development coach at Collinwood (Next Generation Academy) before looking after junior programs at Eastern Ranges.
Natalie Wood (2023) Assistant Coach Development and AFLW sENIOR COACH.

So a coaching spot now becomes available for either Goldy or Heppell...