ESSENDON will call on former Richmond and Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace to help pick its interim coach for next year.
The Bombers announced the five-person panel to pick the club's coach to replace the suspended James Hird.
It includes football director Chris Heffernan, interim chief executive Ray Gunston, AFL Coaches Association boss Danny Frawley, human resources manager Hailey Grimes and Wallace.
Frawley is on the panel as a non-voting member.
Wallace's coaching career ended in 2009, having been in charge of the Tigers for five seasons after seven years at the Western Bulldogs.
In total the former Hawthorn premiership star coached 240 games.
Gunston said the panel had met at weekend to discuss the recruitment process, with an aim to find a coach in the next three to four weeks.
"We appreciate the appointment of an interim senior coach is a unique position for the club and for the candidates to be in," Gunston said.
"Importantly, the role has been designed to fit into a longer term structure of the football department and will incorporate a future position within our coaching group."
Senior assistant coach Mark Thompson has already ruled himself out of taking on the position in Hird's absence, while assistant Simon Goodwin said at the weekend he had interviewed for the vacant Brisbane Lions coaching role.
Lions caretaker coach and three-time Essendon premiership player Mark Harvey has been linked with the job next season.
Essendon said its hopes of success would not be dimmed by the unusual step of having a stand-in coach.
"In recent years the club has undergone a significant period of growth and improvement on the field and our expectations for 2014 will be no different under an interim coach," Gunston said
"We have a talented and united playing group who have shown they have the ability to compete with the best teams in the competition."
