Vaughan Coveny re-signs as Essendon Royals’ Head of Football for 2025 season

Essendon Royals are pleased to announce that Vaughan Coveny will continue as the club’s Head of Football heading into the 2025 season.

This will be Coveny’s seventh year as Head of Football, as the club embarks on one of its biggest campaigns yet with the establishment of the JGNPL to go hand-in-hand with our JBNPL and community programs.

“Since the season has finished, we’ve already started planning for all our teams,” Coveny said.

“Our JGNPL and our JBNPL, so that’s taking up a lot of our time at the moment. We’re really excited about that and hopefully we can have some more competitive teams.”

Coveny – who is a New Zealand football great – has spearheaded the club’s JBNPL program since coming into the role.

Last year, three of the four sides qualified for Division One, while a host of players from the club’s Under 18s side made the leap into the Under 23s.

Coveny’s passion for coaching and youth football is felt in all corners of the club, providing guidance at each and every turn for those who require it and will be working hand-in-hand with our inaugural JGNPL Technical Director Jaiden van der Heijden and Community Boys Technical Director Michael Curcija.

“Jaiden’s been fantastic,” he said.

“A great appointment for our club and it’s really excited that we have an elite women’s program at NPL level. Like anything we’re starting off our first year and it’s going to take a bit of time, and a bit of building but we’ve got some really talented girls within the club and we think it’s only going to get better.

“We want to continue to build and be competitive (in JBNPL), in that system, we have a lot of strong competitive teams again, a lot of talented players and we hope to continue developing those players to a high level.

“The community program is only getting bigger and better and Michael Curcija is doing a fantastic job in that space. We just want those players to have fun, participate, love the game and if they go on to a higher level, then great. If not, then, we have that community pathway which is great for them as well.”

Coveny also helps steer the relationship with Football Victoria from a coaching development sense, but also with A-Leagues sides when it comes to high performance.