Essendon Football Club is mourning the passing of former player and assistant coach Dean Bailey, who passed away today after a recent battle with cancer.

The club wishes to extend its deepest sympathy to the Bailey family, his wife Caron and sons Darcy and Mitchell.

Bailey arrived at Essendon from North Ringwood and made his debut in round 13, 1986 against Geelong. He played 53 games between 1986 and 1992, his last in round 20 1992.

Bailey then played for Glenelg in the SANFL before taking on a coaching role in Queensland with Mt Gravatt. He returned to Essendon in late 1999 as a development coach and was at the club when it won the 2000 premiership. He left to take up a role as assistant coach at Port Adelaide in 2002 and was there when Port won its first AFL flag in 2004.

Bailey was senior coach at Melbourne between 2008 and 2011 before leaving the Demons to take up the role of senior assistant to Brenton Sanderson at Adelaide.

Essendon senior coach Mark Thompson paid tribute to his former teammate.

“Bails was just a great bloke. He was kind and personable and had that dry sense of humour," Thompson said  

“On the field you always knew what you were going to get from him - he was a very smart footballer and had a brilliant football brain.”

"It's no surprise he became a coach at AFL level, as an assistant at Essendon he showed a lot of innovation in the way he developed players and he clearly had a strong passion for teaching."

"He was a wonderful family man and real Essendon person – he will be deeply missed."

"On behalf of everyone at Essendon, I'd like to extend my deepest condolences to the Bailey family during this incredibly difficult time."