Leigh Tudor speaks to his Essendon players in VFL round one, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

ESSENDON VFL coach Leigh Tudor, an experienced assistant over two decades, will leave the Bombers as their off-season kicks into full swing.

Tudor joined the Bombers at the end of 2019, taking on the club's development program and then was appointed the senior coach of the VFL side for the 2021 season.

He was an assistant coach last season under Ben Rutten before resuming his post as the Bombers' VFL head coach this year.

Tudor has been a long-time AFL assistant, formerly at Geelong, then St Kilda and then Sydney. He then went onto be a part of North Melbourne's coaching panel for seven years, working under current Bombers head coach Brad Scott. 

With the club's season at AFL and VFL level now over, the Bombers have used this week to make some changes to the football program, including Tudor and three delistings so far – Cian McBride, Rhett Montgomerie and Alastair Lord.

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The Bombers have already seen Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Andrew Phillips retire, while James Stewart has also been informed he will be delisted with a year to run on his contract.

There could also be more change in the coaching panel at Essendon with midfield assistant Daniel Giansiracusa in the final group of candidates for Richmond's senior coaching position.