Port Adelaide has entered the race for sacked Essendon coach Ben Rutten.
Rutten, who was sacked two-and-a-half weeks ago by Essendon, enduring a tough 2022 season that yielded just seven wins and 15th place on the AFL ladder.
The Power have reportedly expressed interest in the 39-year-old after a tumultuous 2022 season that ended with them missing finals for the first time since 2019.
They join Richmond, who are understood to be the favourite to land his services, as the clubs looking at him as an assistant coach, according toย 9 News Adelaide.ย
"It's understood that [Port Adelaide] are in the race to land former Bombers coach Ben Rutten as an assistant," Josh Money revealed on 9 News.
"At this stage [Ben Rutten] is expected to remain in Melbourne with Richmond being the favourites to land him."
Rutten's was previously an assistant coach at Richmond between 2015 and 2018, and was widely mentioned as the man responsible with leading the club's defence at the start of their winning run, with Richmond taking out the flag in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Rutten, who played 229 games during his playing career for theย Adelaideย Crows between 2003 and 2014, joined Essendon at the end of his stint with Richmond, originally as an assistant coach underย John Worsfoldย and then as head coach following the departure of Worsfold at the end of the 2020 season.
The two years in charge have seen Rutten win just 18 out of 44 games, however, the disappointing run of form in 2022 saw the Bombers move in a new direction with the clipboard for 2023.
Essendon have begun a lengthy process to find their next senior coach, with the likes ofย James Hird and Adem Yze believed to be in the mix.
