Essendon have signalled a long drawn out process in the search for a new senior coach with the prospect the Bombers might be coachless going to the AFL Trading Period in October.

‘‘We haven’t set a deadline. We don’t want to handicap ourselves in that way and set a time,’‘ Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said. ‘‘We have a preference that we would like to have the coach before trade week, but it’s not a necessity. It won’t hamper what we are doing.’‘

Hamilton will be joined by Essendon CEO Ian Robson and Essendon Premiership player Scott Lucas in comprising the panel that will choose the next Bomber coach.

Hamilton said interviews could start next week, with ex-Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams the raging hot favourite, while the names of current Cats coach Mark Thompson, ex-Roo Dean Laidley, AFL assistants Alan Richardson and Brenton Sanderson have also been floated in recent days.