Essendon interim coach Dean Solomon has denied rumours of a rift with coaching candidate Mark McVeigh, but is not yet sure if he will stay at the club next year.

Solomon was bemused by suggestions he had fallen out with his former teammate McVeigh, likening speculation over his relationship with his friend of 30 years to the long-running soapie Home and Away.

McVeigh is considered the favourite to win the Essendon coaching job next year ahead of club great James Hird.

Solomon has won one out of 10 games since taking over from Brad Scott in May, and the Bombers last week mutually agreed he would not enter the process for the top job at the Hangar.

Solomon served alongside Hird as McVeigh’s assistant coach at Greater Western Sydney in 2022 when the latter was appointed the interim coach after Leon Cameron’s departure.

“We don’t know where they’ve come from,” Solomon said on Thursday. “They’re rumours. [McVeigh’s] one of my best mates since the age of 15. I’ve known Hirdy since the age of 17.

“Talks with me potentially not being here next year, whether that stimulated a bit of that conversation we’re unsure, but I feel like it’s a bit of an episode of Home and Away. There’s nothing there.”

Solomon, who left the board to join Scott’s coaching panel late last year, is contracted to Essendon as an assistant coach for next year but is unsure if he will remain at the club for two reasons. His family still lives in northern NSW, and the new coach may want to bring his own panel of assistants.

“Part of the process of thinking about going in the process for the senior coaching role was sitting down with my family and talking about that,” Solomon said.

“My wife and kids live in northern NSW. I’ve had 10 to 11 months away from them at the moment. Is that sustainable long-term? It’s probably not. That’s part of the discussions.

“The reality is a new coach will come in two weeks’ time. They’re going to want to bring in staff they want to work alongside for two to three years. I would’ve thought continuity is really important. I’ll sit with that senior coach, whoever that is, and we can work through that.”

Solomon reiterated his belief the next coach does not need to be a former Essendon player, pointing to coaching great Kevin Sheedy, who was a Richmond champion before he was at the helm at Windy Hill.

“He just needs to be the right person,” Solomon said.