Essendon interim coach Dean Solomon has officially pulled out of the race to be the next senior coach. “He has served this club with distinction as our head coach and has made a lasting impact on the players and staff.” Essendon said at the beginning of the process it will bring subject matter experts in for specific steps of the process. All candidates were asked general questions around their readiness to coach, their philosophies on coaching, coaching the club as a whole, their leadership styles, and how they handle pressure. The final four candidatesJaymie Graham (Fremantle assistant)James Hird (club great and former Essendon coach)Mark McVeigh (Sydney assistant and former Essendon star)Murray Davis (Adelaide coaching director and former Brisbane assistant)