ESSENDON has poached highly rated assistant coach Daniel Pratt from the Western Bulldogs. 

The Bombers have been searching for an experienced option to work alongside newly appointed senior coach Mark McVeigh. 

AFL.com.au understands Pratt has resigned from the Western Bulldogs and will join Essendon as a senior assistant.

Pratt was voted the AFL Coaches Association assistant coach of the year in 2024 and has been considered for senior coaching vacancies in the past few years. 

After exploring moves for Collingwood’s senior assistant Hayden Skipworth and Bulldogs midfield coach Brendon Lade, Essendon has now added an important puzzle piece to its coaching panel for 2027. 

Pratt joined the Dogs at the end of 2023 and has coached the backline under Luke Beveridge.

Before that, Pratt spent a decade at West Coast in a variety of coaching roles, including development, assistant, AFLW and backline at the Eagles. 

The former North Melbourne and Brisbane defender will now work closely with McVeigh in a new-look coaching group at the Hangar. 

Essendon signed Sydney premiership coach John Longmire as GM of football performance in the days after the Grand Final in one of the biggest off-field coups of the off-season. 

The Bombers have been looking for someone to replace Dean Solomon since the caretaker coach opted to return home to northern New South Wales after being offered a range of coaching roles at the end of the season. 

Essendon has also added Brent Prismall from the Western Bulldogs as head of development after the former Bomber spent a decade running the welfare team at Whitten Oval. 

Now McVeigh and Essendon have secured another crucial off-field figure ahead of pre-season.