Senior coach James Hird congratulated McCartney on his appointment.
“We wish to congratulate Brendan on his appointment as senior coach at the Western Bulldogs,” Hird said.
“While we are obviously extremely disappointed to lose someone of Brendan’s coaching experience and a person of his calibre, we are delighted for Brendan at the same time.
“He is a fantastic teacher of the game and has an incredible knowledge and understanding of trends in modern football and has taught me a lot over the past 12 months.
“When we appointed Brendan last year, we knew he had a strong ambition to take on a senior coaching role.
“Essendon was incredibly fortunate to have Brendan for the year and on behalf of the club I would like to thank him for his service and wish him all the best for the future.”
