Should Goodwin join the Demons, there has been speculation he could be offered a five-year contract. This would include two years as a senior assistant and three as the senior coach. Former Geelong captain Cameron Ling had also been of interest to the Demons but, with a young family, he has opted to pursue his business interests and media commentary roles. While Goodwin's future has yet to be decided, the reconfiguring of the Bombers' football department continued on Tuesday when James Byrne, the head of player development since November 2011, quit to "pursue business and career opportunities away from the Essendon Football Club", the Bombers said in a statement. "I believe the development of the playing list is in good hands with Hayden Skipworth and Paul Corrigan, who will continue to build on the achievements of the development group moving forward," Byrne said. "However, I am excited to have more time to spend with my wife and two daughters and re-establish my career in the finance industry."

Byrne had been in charge of the development of players between their first and third years. The Bombers say they will "now begin the process of replacing the role". Essendon began its season-ending exit interviews with its players on Tuesday and will conclude these on Wednesday. Once these are completed, Thompson is expected to discuss with the club what role he could fill next season, as Hird returns as senior coach. Thompson has suggested he is likely to remain in some capacity, claiming he was not interested in entertaining offers from rival clubs. He has been linked to a senior assistant role alongside Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson, with the Crows coach recently suggesting he would chat with the dual Geelong premiership coach once the season was done. However, Crows' football department chief David Noble said the club had no plans "at this stage" to interview Thompson, who remains a mentor to Sanderson.

Thompson has also been linked to Gold Coast, should the expansion club feel Guy McKenna is not the right man to elevate the club into the finals. McKenna is off contract next season but is hopeful of a contract extension. Essendon's players want Thompson to remain. Influential club figure Tim Watson, the father of current captain Jobe, has even said they are "desperate" for him to stay. Watson said the Bombers were set to offer Thompson a "productive and important role around the club". "What they [Essendon] are hopeful of, I think, is securing a role for him almost like the strategist-type coach, where he would be in charge of shaping the game plan of the club and the way the players play," Watson said on Channel Seven's Talking Footy. "I think they are pretty happy with that role and for him to continue in that role. They have already split the football manager's role between Neil Craig and also Rob Kerr and Neil does more about the management of the players in terms of their performance, and the other part is administrative which Rob does.

"In terms of the club being top heavy if Bomber was to stay, I don't think that is necessarily the case. I think they can easily accommodate him there in that role." Thompson has ruled out the possibility that he and Hird could be co-coaches. "I think the players are really desperate for him to stay at the club in some capacity," Watson said.