Essendon VFL senior coach Dale Tapping dies following myeloma illness

Essendon VFL senior coach Dale Tapping has sadly passed away. He previously served as an assistant coach at both Essendon and the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club stated that Tapping was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive blood cancer, in January 2023 and passed away on Tuesday.

Tapping was appointed as the senior coach of Essendon’s VFL team at the end of 2024 and was preparing to lead the team this season. He joined Essendon in 2021 as an assistant coach for the AFL team, after previously serving as an assistant coach at the Brisbane Lions.

Essendon AFL coach Brad Scott said that those who knew Tapping would remember the exceptional qualities he possessed as a person. “Dale was an outstanding coach, but his real legacy is the profound impact he had on the players and staff he worked with,” Scott said. “His dedication to their development, both on and off the field, and his genuine desire to see people succeed were qualities that everyone admired.”

Scott also mentioned, “It was a privilege to coach alongside him, and his legacy at the club will live on through the players and staff he guided throughout his career. Dale will be deeply missed by everyone in the AFL industry and at Essendon.” Tapping had previously played for Collingwood and Melbourne reserves in the VFL, as well as Prahran and Old Xaverians in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).

His coaching career began at Old Brighton and Old Scotch in the VAFA. He then moved into the junior ranks, coaching the Sandringham Dragons under-18s. Tapping joined Collingwood’s VFL program and was named VFL Coach of the Year in 2016. Tapping is survived by his wife Kellie, and his children Summer and Mason.

Essendon president David Barham said, “Our club extends its deepest condolences to his wife Kellie, children Summer and Mason, and the wider Tapping family at this most difficult time. He has had a lasting impact on the Essendon Football Club and the broader football community, and he will be remembered as a selfless person whose passion and care for people and the game was evident in everything he did.”