Essendon greats Dean Solomon and James Hird will join the GIANTS’ coaching staff to support former teammate and interim coach Mark McVeigh for the remainder of 2022.

Solomon was a premiership player at Essendon and Fremantle across a 209-game AFL career and hails from Broken Hill in NSW.

He worked at Fremantle and the Gold Coast Suns as an assistant coach over 10 years from 2010-2020.

Solomon will join the club as a part-time assistant coach for the reminder of the season while continuing to be based in northern NSW.

Hird will move into an expanded role with the GIANTS after joining the club as leadership advisor ahead of the 2022 season.

The Australian Football Hall of Famer has been working as a leadership consultant but will now take on a part-time coaching role with the club while continuing to be based in Melbourne.

Having played 253 games for the Bombers, Hird won two Premierships, a Norm Smith Medal, five Best and Fairest awards, and was named in Essendon’s Team of the Century. 

Hird was awarded the game’s highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal, in 1996, as well as being named in five All-Australian teams.  

McVeigh takes over as interim senior coach for the remainder of the season after being at the GIANTS for over nine years and holding roles including Academy coach, NEAFL coach, backline coach, midfield coach and most recently, senior assistant coach.

Solomon and Hird join assistant coaches Steve Johnson, Amon Buchanan and Craig Jennings in the AFL program along with VFL coach Damian Truslove, ruck coach Shane Mumford and stoppage coach Craig Lambert.

GIANTS General Manager of Football, Jason McCartney, said:

“As we head into the next 13 weeks, it’s a great opportunity to have Dean and James join the club’s coaching department.

“They’re both obviously close with our interim senior coach Mark McVeigh and jumped at the opportunity to support him, our coaching group and the players over the remainder of the season

“They both bring a fresh perspective and new ideas and we’re excited to have them join the GIANTS.”