Essendon legend James Hird has officially met with the Bombers in his bid to return as head coach, 11 years after his emotional departure from the club.
Hird sat down with Bombers powerbrokers today (Tuesday) to pitch his case to replace Brad Scott, marking the first step in the interview process for the vacant coaching position.
7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary said: “3,983 days after he departed as coach of Essendon, James Hird has met with the Bombers in his bid to replace Brad Scott.”
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Cleary said the former captain and Brownlow medallist is now considered a “serious contender” for the role, with key people at Essendon much more open to the prospect of Hird coaching than they were in the week Scott was sacked.
Hird met with president Andrew Welsh, CEO Tim Roberts and some of the club’s selection panel.
But Hird has been subtly told to put a lid on the political campaigning, according to veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson.
“I think the subtle message has been delivered by the Hird camp to James Hird that the political campaign probably has got to stop,” Wilson said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“It’s been a political campaign, let’s face it.
“Paul Little (former president), Kevin Sheedy (former coach), other ex-teammates tweeting by the day.
“It’s quite extraordinary the way it’s been carried on. I think James Hird himself, with Eddie McGuire’s help, has been making a lot of comments on Channel 9.”
7SPORT expert Tom Morris said it was Hird’s job to make comment when asked questions about the coaching hunt.
Wilson said she was not commenting on it, but merely saying that it had been happening.
“And I don’t believe it’s been necessarily good for James Hird. And I think Essendon would rather it stop too,”Wilson said.
“So I think it’ll be interesting to watch it progress from here.
“I don’t still don’t think that James Hird will be the next Essendon coach. Although I noticed Mitch Cleary reported on the news that he felt some senior leaders at the club had changed their tune from about six weeks ago.”
Morris said he was aware of board support for Hird.
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“Whether there’s enough support for him to have more than Mark McVeigh or James Kelly or any other candidate, I’m not sure. But it’s certainly very, very much an interesting space at the moment as Hird meets with Essendon for the first time.“
In other Bombers news, the club has added Victorian Chamber of Commerce CEO Sally Curtain to their board.
However, the Dons have missed out on Gold Coast’s emerging forward Jed Walter, who knocked back a multi-million dollar five-year deal at Tullamarine to recommit to the Suns for three years.
