Former Gold Coast Suns AFLW coach Cameron Joyce has been appointed head coach of Essendon’s VFL team.
Joyce’s appointment follows the tragic passing of Dale Tapping, who sadly died on February 4 following a brave fight against Myeloma, an aggressive form of blood cancer.
Joyce brings more than 26 years’ football experience, having previously served as list manager and then general manager of football at North Melbourne from 2008-19 before moving into the coaching sphere.
The 44-year-old coached the Tasmania Devils under-18 girls team in 2020, before taking the reins as the Suns’ AFLW coach, leading the Suns to the 2023 finals as part of a four-season record that yielded a 15-23-3 win-loss-draw record.
The son of dual Hawthorn premiership coach Alan, most of Joyce’s life has revolved around football, initially in opposition scouting before making his successful push up the ranks.
It’s a journey that lends itself well to the new role, where he’ll also work closely with the AFL program as a development coach.
Joyce said he was looking forward to the opportunity.
“I’m excited to be at the club with a really strong direction,” he said.
“The next couple of weeks will be about making sure I get across all the staff and players, getting to know them well in the lead-up.
“I’ve been involved in footy for 26 years across four clubs now, I’ve had a lot of different roles across the board.
“A big part of the decision to come down and be a part of it is the quality of people here.”
He said strength would be a big part of the Bombers’ plans.
“There’s the alignment with Brad Scott in terms of his philosophy and strategy of the game, it’s important to have a really good relationship with AFL and VFL,” he said.
“That’s something I’ll be pressing with the players is to make sure we’re on the same page with that.
“When you walk through the door today and meet the staff and players, I couldn’t be happier with my choice.”
Joyce arrives at the NEC Hangar on Friday and will talk over next week.
Essendon’s AFL general manager Daniel McPherson was excited what Joyce could bring to the position, given his wealth of experience at a relatively young age for a senior coach.
“Cameron’s acquired a vast amount of football experience over the years,” he said.
“In addition to his time as a list manager and general manager of Football, he’s been able to add to his coaching repertoire at both the Devils and the Gold Coast.
“Cameron has already worked closely with a number of key people at the club such as Brad Scott, Ben Robbins and Ben Jacobs, which will no doubt help his integration into the role.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how he slots in with ‘Hurls’ (Michael Hurley) and ‘Trav’ (Cloke) in the development space, as well as with the broader VFL staff and playing group."
The Bombers lost to Footscray by 20 points in their opening practice match last week, before defeating Geelong by 11 points at GMHBA Stadium on Tuesday.
