Essendon great Tim Watson has publicly rebuked his former club for escalating four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews' pointed remarks about the Bombers' coaching search to the AFL, saying the bottom-placed club has "much bigger things to worry about" than pursuing someone for their public comments. The criticism came as Essendon confirmed yet another senior figure is set to leave, with forwards coach Cam Roberts announcing his departure at the end of the 2026 season.
Watson Defends Matthews, Takes Aim at Essendon's Response
The controversy ignited on Saturday when Matthews — one of the AFL's most respected figures and an Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend — told a Melbourne radio station he would have "no confidence" coaching the Bombers under their current administration, and that if he were a coach today, he simply would not go to Essendon.
The club was privately unhappy with those remarks, but took things further on Sunday when chief executive Tim Roberts sent a transcript of Matthews' comments to the AFL. Bombers president Andrew Welsh also reached out to Brisbane Lions chairman Andrew Wellington — Matthews serves as a Lions club director — seeking an explanation.
The AFL has since indicated it will not take any action against Matthews, viewing it as a club-level matter.
Watson, speaking on radio on Tuesday, was unambiguous in his defence of Matthews and his scepticism about Essendon's response.
"Leigh is very considered and has powerful conversations from time to time, and he's very direct in what he has to say," Watson said. "He's not somebody that goes out there looking for clickbait, he's not a hot-taker. There's enough evidence around to suggest that what he's saying [is] not completely untrue, either."
The former Bombers captain — who faced Matthews' Hawthorn sides across three grand finals in the 1980s — said he would not have taken the same approach as club management.
"I don't know whether I would have gone to that degree, had I been at Essendon, that I thought, 'OK, I need to go to the AFL and get some sort of comment from them,'" Watson said.
When asked whether there was a sense of insecurity at the club, Watson was direct: "They're staring down the wooden spoon, they haven't got a coach. I would have thought you've got much bigger things to worry about than dobbing someone in about what they've said."
He added that the best measure of a football club remains results on the field. "When it looks better you can point at it and say this is where we're at. But they've got a long way to go before they are at that point," he said.
A club spokesman said on Tuesday the Matthews matter had been dealt with on Saturday afternoon.
Coaching Exodus Deepens With Cam Roberts' Departure
Roberts' exit adds to a growing list of football department departures at Essendon. The forwards coach joined the club as a development coach for the 2020 season, making his tenure seven years in total.
"When I first arrived, I simply wanted to contribute and help people improve. To have had the chance to work alongside such committed players, coaches and staff over the past seven seasons has been a privilege," Roberts said in a statement.
He follows senior coach Brad Scott, assistant coach Ben Jacobs, head of psychology Ben Robbins — both of whom quit in May in solidarity with Scott — and football department general manager Dan McPherson, whose exit was confirmed just five days earlier.
CEO Tim Roberts acknowledged the difficult circumstances surrounding Roberts' decision.
"We appreciate that prior to appointing a senior coach there is always a level of uncertainty at AFL clubs," he said. "While we're disappointed to see him leave, we completely respect his decision and thank him for everything he's contributed to Essendon."
What's Next for the Bombers
Essendon's hunt for a new senior coach continues against a backdrop of on-field struggles, with the club languishing at the bottom of the AFL ladder. The ongoing departure of experienced football staff only adds to the pressure on a club that, as Watson bluntly noted, still has a long road ahead before its scorecard tells a different story.
