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West Coast Eagles executive and former football head Craig Vozzo will be the new chief executive at Essendon.
In a coup for the club after Andrew Thorburn’s brief and controversial tenure, the Bombers have secured the highly respected Vozzo for the top job.
Craig Vozzo will be Essendon CEO.Credit:Getty Images
Vozzo had been groomed as a potential successor for Trevor Nisbett as CEO of the West Coast Eagles.
Originally practising as a lawyer in Adelaide before moving into player management, Vozzo moved to the Eagles to head up list management and became their head of football. He then moved across into the commercial side of the business.
He presents as having an ideal blend of skills for the Bombers after they parted ways with Xavier Campbell, citing a desire to improve the focus on football as a key concern for the club.
Essendon Football Club CEO Xavier Campbell and club president David Barham at a press conference at The Hangar today to announce the sacking of coach Ben Rutten. Photograph by Paul Jeffers The Age NEWS 21 Aug 2022Credit:Paul Jeffers, The Age
Essendon acknowledged that while they had enjoyed significant improvements in the commercial side of the business, the football department needed more attention.
Former North Melbourne CEO Carl Dilena, now working at St Kilda, had also been on the short list for the job.
The appointment is important for president David Barham after the drama surrounding the short-lived appointment of Thorburn, which is now the subject of legal action.