FORMER Essendon captain and club great Neale Daniher will play a key role in the Bombers' full-scale review into their football department as a result of a disastrous 2015 season.

Daniher will be one of a number of external experts consulted as the Bombers investigate their worst season under coach James Hird.

Fighting his own battle with incurable motor neurone disease, Daniher remains one of football's sharpest minds, integral to West Coast's rise into the top four this year, spending time at the Eagles from 2008-2014.

"Neale's certainly one we will consult as an external stakeholder, particularly around the external benchmarking," Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell told Channel Nine.

"Neale's got a great football mind, he's got depth and breadth of experience of being a coach and also an administrator.

"It's nice in a sense to check the landscape from an outsider's perspective as well. Neale's as good as anyone I'd imagine."

The review is expected to be completed before the end of the home and away season.

All areas of the unit will be heavily scrutinised, including the positions of Neil Craig and Rob Kerr, who both share the load as heads of the football program.

Football staff including Hird and his assistants will be examined with a big focus to centre on the club's recruitment team.

"Specifically football's an area we want to challenge and improve," Campbell said.

"There's no doubting that our performance this year hasn't been to a level I would've liked, the board would've liked or others in the football department would've liked.

"It's a big focus for us moving forward."

Despite the review into his role, Campbell reiterated Hird's position would remain for next year.

"James is contracted for 2016 and I believe James will be coaching in 2016," he said.

"This is a review that's not about individuals or roles specifically; this is about broader football business and improving the way we do our business.

"I don't know why it needs to be specifically about James because it's not."

The review will help set the foundations of its new strategic plan for 2016-2018.