Dean Solomon
Dean Solomon (born 9 January 1980) is an Australian rules football coach and former professional player, best known for his tenure as a premiership-winning midfielder and defender with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).[1] Drafted by Essendon with the 20th pick in the 1997 AFL National Draft from the Bendigo Pioneers, Solomon made his debut in 1998 at age 18 and went on to play 158 games for the club through 2006, including a key role in their 2000 premiership victory.[2] Traded to Fremantle at the end of 2006, he added 51 games over three seasons before retiring in 2010 due to a chronic knee injury, bringing his total AFL career to 209 matches and 78 goals.[2] Raised in Broken Hill, New South Wales, where he honed his skills playing for the North Broken Hill Football Club—winning junior premierships and a best junior award at age 16—Solomon initially balanced football with basketball and cricket before committing fully to the sport.[2] Transitioning to coaching immediately after retirement, he served as an assistant at Fremantle in 2010, then with the Gold Coast Suns from 2011 to 2019—where he acted as caretaker senior coach in 2017—and part-time with the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2022.[3] In a distinctive career pivot, Solomon joined Essendon's board of directors in recent years, contributing to club governance, before resigning in October 2025 to return to the Bombers as an assistant coach under senior coach Brad Scott, focusing on the backline and team defense for the 2025 season.[4][3]Background
Early life
Dean Solomon was born on 9 January 1980 in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.[1] He grew up in the remote mining town of Broken Hill, where he was exposed to a variety of sports from a young age. Solomon participated in Australian rules football, basketball, and cricket, demonstrating talent across these disciplines, though football emerged as his strongest pursuit.[2][5] Solomon affiliated with the local North Broken Hill Football Club during his early years, where he won several junior premierships and, at age 16, earned the best junior award while playing in league and A-grade teams against South Broken Hill. He played in regional competitions that shaped his development.[1][6][2] At the outset of his career, he measured 189 cm in height and 102 kg in weight, physical traits that supported his versatile playing style.[7][8]Junior career
Solomon's junior football career began to accelerate after relocating from his multi-sport background in Broken Hill to join the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup under-18 competition, where he developed under an AFL scholarship program.[9][1] Prior to his time with the Pioneers, Solomon represented the NSW/ACT Rams in the inaugural AFL National Under-18 Championships in 1997, earning All-Australian selection for his performances alongside future AFL star Mark McVeigh.[1][9] His size, pace, and versatility as a midfielder were highlighted during these national junior competitions, marking him as a standout prospect from New South Wales.[1] Solomon's strong showings in both state representative and TAC Cup levels culminated in his selection by Essendon with pick 20 in the 1997 AFL National Draft, directly from the Bendigo Pioneers.[1][10] This draft pick reflected his rapid rise through underage pathways, positioning him for a professional career.[11]Playing career
Essendon Football Club
Dean Solomon was drafted by Essendon with the 20th pick in the 1997 AFL National Draft from the Bendigo Pioneers.[1] He made his AFL debut in the 1998 Anzac Day match against Collingwood and went on to play 158 games for the club, kicking 56 goals, primarily as a tough midfielder and defender known for his physicality and contested ball-winning ability.[1][2] Solomon was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award in his debut season and won Essendon's Most Courageous Player award in 1999 and 2001.[1] He played a key role in Essendon's 2000 premiership victory, contributing to the team's dominant defence, and later finished third in the club's best and fairest count in 2004.[1] That year, he also represented Australia in the International Rules Series.[1] At the end of the 2006 season, Solomon was traded to Fremantle in exchange for draft picks 42 and 47.[12]Fremantle Football Club
At the end of the 2006 AFL season, Dean Solomon was traded from Essendon to Fremantle in exchange for draft picks 42 and 47, allowing the Dockers to bolster their midfield with his experience as a versatile and physical player.[12][13] Solomon quickly adapted to Fremantle's playing style, contributing as a tough-nosed utility who used his power and contested ball-winning ability to support the team's midfield rotation, despite weighing over 100 kg and standing at 189 cm.[14] Over three seasons from 2007 to 2009, he played 51 games and kicked 22 goals, providing leadership and intensity in a side that was rebuilding under coach Mark Harvey.[13][5] His time at Fremantle was marred by recurring injuries, culminating in a major degenerative knee condition that forced his retirement. On 18 February 2010, Solomon announced his delisting and end to his AFL career, having played a total of 209 games and kicked 78 goals across both clubs.[15][16][5]Career statistics and records
Playing statistics
Dean Solomon's AFL career spanned from 1998 to 2009, during which he played a total of 209 games and kicked 78 goals across Essendon and Fremantle.[7] His career aggregates also include 2,953 disposals, 1,834 kicks, 1,119 handballs, 815 marks, and 648 tackles.[7] This equates to an average of approximately 14.1 disposals per game.[7] The following table provides a season-by-season breakdown of his key playing statistics, sourced from official AFL records.[7] (Note: He played no games in 2002 due to injury.)| Year | Team | Games | Goals | Kicks | Handballs | Disposals | Marks | Tackles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Essendon | 7 | 2 | 38 | 25 | 63 | 12 | 13 |
| 1999 | Essendon | 19 | 4 | 139 | 105 | 244 | 61 | 39 |
| 2000 | Essendon | 25 | 8 | 196 | 136 | 332 | 115 | 43 |
| 2001 | Essendon | 24 | 8 | 208 | 119 | 327 | 101 | 55 |
| 2002 | Essendon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | Essendon | 24 | 11 | 243 | 105 | 348 | 103 | 86 |
| 2004 | Essendon | 23 | 15 | 245 | 154 | 399 | 79 | 88 |
| 2005 | Essendon | 16 | 4 | 130 | 62 | 192 | 65 | 45 |
| 2006 | Essendon | 20 | 4 | 146 | 97 | 243 | 72 | 48 |
| 2007 | Fremantle | 20 | 11 | 196 | 120 | 316 | 77 | 108 |
| 2008 | Fremantle | 13 | 7 | 149 | 71 | 220 | 70 | 36 |
| 2009 | Fremantle | 18 | 4 | 144 | 125 | 269 | 60 | 87 |