Essendon have added highly rated Collingwood assistant coach Alan Richardson to it’s 2009 coaching staff and have named former Bomber defender Paul Hamilton as the clubs new Football Manager.

“I have always had massive respect for Essendon with the success they have had and the success they demand,” Richardson said.

“The last time Collingwood played the Bombers I couldn’t help but be impressed with the young playing list. I believe the Essendon group is going in the right direction and I want to play a role assisting Matthew Knights and the other coaches in further developing the list.

“Having achieved what I set out to achieve at Collingwood with setting up their academy, now is a good time for a change and I am very excited by this new opportunity.”

Richardson was the development manager at Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs and is reagrded as one of the AFL’s best at fast-tracking youngsters to AFL level.

Hamilton returns to Windy Hill after spending the past four years as an assistant to Neil Craig at Adelaide with his coaching experience also including a four-season stint at North Melbourne, a four-year tenure as senior coach at Tasmanian club Glenorchy and one year in charge of SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens. He played 105 games for the Bombers between 1986 and 1992.