GWS assistant Shane Mumford joins old Giants colleague Mark McVeigh at Essendon

GWS Giants development coach Shane Mumford has joined Mark McVeigh’s coaching panel at Essendon .

McVeigh coached at GWS during Mumford’s time as a Giants player before the pair worked alongside each other as assistants in 2022.

McVeigh worked in a number of roles at the Giants, including as Academy coach and defensive line coach, before taking over as interim senior coach when Leon Cameron was sacked in 2022.

Mumford has remained at the Giants under Adam Kingsley since then, while McVeigh moved to Sydney after missing out on Kingsley’s job.

Now, McVeigh has lured his old Giants colleague down to Essendon, just weeks after he was named as Brad Scott’s successor in the top job at the Bombers.

Mumford will work as a development coach at The Hangar as the Bombers continue the search to fill a number of football department positions that were vacated in the back half of this season.

“Mumford joins the Club with more than 200 games of AFL experience and five seasons in coaching,” Essendon said in a statement.

“The 40-year-old played 216 games across 13 seasons at Geelong, Sydney and Greater Western Sydney, and was a member of Sydney’s 2012 premiership side. He was named the GIANTS’ best and fairest in 2014.

Mumford moved into coaching at the GIANTS in 2022 following his retirement, most recently as specialist ruck coach in the AFL program and an assistant coach with the club’s AFLW side.

“He will work with Essendon’s midfield and young talls, reuniting with senior coach Mark McVeigh, who he worked alongside at the Giants.

“Mumford will join the club at the conclusion of the Giants’ AFLW season.”

One of the coaching positions vacated at the Bombers is that of this year’s caretaker coach, Dean Solomon, who has chosen not to see out his contract for next year.

Solomon was on Essendon’s board in 2025, became an assistant coach this year then took the reins on an interim basis when Brad Scott was sacked.

But battling Essendon won just one game of 12 and Solomon chose not to pursue the full-time role, eventually won by McVeigh ahead of James Hird, Jaymie Graham and Murray Davis.