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Essendon coach Ben Rutten will be immediately sacked as a result of the Bombers’ dismal season, reports 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.
Speaking on his radio show on Monday morning, Mitchell reported Rutten will be replaced by his assistant and former Bulldogs star Daniel Giansiracusa for the team’s last game of the season, against Richmond on Saturday.
The news comes as Bombers president Paul Brasher – a supporter of Rutten – has resigned. David Barnham is set to become the club’s new boss.
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The Bombers have reached out to legendary Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson, Mitchell reports, with the champion mentor being pursued by a number of clubs. The Kangaroos are the current frontrunners to lure Clarkson.
Rutten took control of the Bombers last year after spending 2020 in a transitional role with former coach John Worsfold.
He took a young team to the finals in his debut year in charge, and Essendon was bundled out by the Bulldogs in week one. The club has not won a finals game since 2004.
Many pundits had high hopes for the team this season with one of the younger rosters in the AFL and bucketloads of natural talent.
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Instead the Bombers have gone backwards badly, winning only seven games, leading to Rutten’s sacking.
They went on a three-game winning streak last month, which was only broken by Collingwood kicking a goal after the siren in round 19.
But in the last two weeks the Bombers have been dismal in losses to the Giants and Power – the latter which was an 84-point drubbing on Sunday.
It was one day later when the Essendon board met to take drastic action.
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