MELBOURNE has welcomed two additions to its AFL coaching panel, appointing Nathan Bassett and Nathan Jones for the 2025 season.
The duo will join AFL Senior Coach Simon Goodwin’s team, with Bassett to oversee the backline and team defence, and Jones to head up the midfield.
They will accompany Troy Chaplin as part of next year’s line-up, who will make the switch to lead the team’s forwards, having spent the past seven seasons looking after defence.
Bassett arrives at Melbourne with experience aplenty, coaching across ten seasons in different roles at Essendon and Port Adelaide.
He joined the Power as a defensive coach ahead of the 2016 season, spending the two years prior at the Bombers, before switching to look after the Port forwards in 2019.
The 47-year-old finished up his time at Alberton at the end of 2023, following eight seasons of service.
General Manager of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson said Bassett’s knowledge and perspective will be of significant benefit to the program and broader club.
“We are thrilled to have Nathan join our club in an assistant coaching capacity,” Richardson said.
“Nathan’s coaching experience over the past 15 years is incredibly impressive. From winning two premierships with Norwood in his early years of coaching, to spending time at Essendon and more recently Port Adelaide; we are excited by what he can add to our program, with specific focus on our backline and team defence.
“We look forward to welcoming Nathan, his wife Nicole and his children Charlotte and Will, in preparation for the 2025 season.”
Melbourne will welcome home a favourite son in Jones.
The much-loved Demon, who is a Life Member and played 302 games for the club, had his first official taste of coaching in 2024, leading Peninsula Grammar’s Boys First team.
With an existing understanding of team structure and game style, Jones will return to help bolster the Demons’ stoppage work.
He will work alongside Sam Radford, with the pair aiming to maximise the group’s strengths, while integrating new talent into the midfield mix.
Richardson was equally as pleased to bring Jones back into the fold.
“It’s really exciting to be able to welcome Jonesy back to the club,” Richardson said.
“He has an incredibly thorough understanding of our foundations and the game, and obviously has some strong relationships within the program. He’s ready to hit the ground running and have an immediate impact.
“Jonesy is a passionate Melbourne person, and we look forward to welcoming him, his wife Jerri and kids Bobbi, Remy, Odie and Dove back to the club they called home for 16 years.”
Jones was drafted to Melbourne in 2005 and went on to play the second-most senior games in the club’s history.
He retired during the Demons’ 2021 AFL campaign after captaining the team across five seasons and being awarded three best and fairest titles.
Prior to coaching, Bassett enjoyed a 12-year playing career, initially drafted to Melbourne as a rookie in 1997.
He made the move to Adelaide the following season, where he went on to play 210 games across 11 years as a Crow – all alongside Demons AFL Senior Coach Simon Goodwin.
Retiring at the end of 2008, Bassett made the switch to coaching in 2010, taking up a position at Norwood where he was part of two premierships.
Bassett and Jones join the red and blue following the departures of Greg Stafford and Andrew McQualter in recent months.
