Opinion Coach: James Hird

[MarkG]

Took a snap poll did you? Ridiculous hyperbolic comments like these do you no favours whatsoever.

I don't need any favours.

The audience stood to a man/woman and gave Bomber thunderous applause.

I was on a table of sponsors. They clapped so hard when Bomber indicated that he was staying as coach, we could hardly hear him talk.

So you believe if the audience was asked to vote that night, they would have give Hird (and his lawyers) overwhelming support?

If not, what exactly are you implying?

 

[frenchfri12]

Thing is. What would happen if one of the senior players came out and said they want Hird gone? He'd be punished, most likely suspended or something overly dramatic. That's why the players are "behind" Hird.

your quoting the wrong person, i agree with everything your saying

 

[chrisdon16]

Don't forget it will cost s close enough to $1 million if we do sack him.

Best mil we'll ever spend

 

[chrisdon16]

I'm not anti Hird. I'm pro Essendon. It's sad that you think a person must be one or the other.

Saying he should be axed at the end of the year and your not anti hird, ok?

 

[frenchfri12]

Saying he should be axed at the end of the year and your not anti hird, ok?

he said we should re-assess at the end of the year.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Bolded should play absolutely no part in the decision to keep Hird.

Players should not decide who coaches. Even if they want Hird, the results do not justify keeping him. Carlton players wanted to keep MM too. Just doesn't work that way. We've seen St Kilda, Bulldogs, Fremantle and Adelaide recently make the decision to sack their coach for less reasons than Essendon. All 4 improved under their new coaches. I still believe we are more in Adelaide's position as opposed to a full rebuild like St Kilda and Bulldogs. Carlton have accepted that they need to rebuild. We'll see them improving from here on. We either rebuild or try to salvage this list through trading. Either way, it will be more fruitful with a new coach.

I think the caretaker coach will make the hard decisions with players that are not performing. It is all about the future as this season is a complete write-off. We will gain absolutely nothing from keeping Hird until the end of the year to be honest. Players cannot handle the media pressure anymore. We won't see a galvanised effort like we have the last 2 years as they are mentally shot.

To see Jobe play the way he did in his 200th game should be the sign. Removing Hird will completely release the pressure valve on Essendon and the players. Sometimes you have to make the tough decisions.

Players were consulted and reportedly influenced the removal of coaches at Adelaide, Gold Coast and the Doggies. It isn't a new approach to consider their wishes, especially that of the leadership group.

We are also in a unique scenario, some have been suggesting we have players being emotionally massaged because they no longer have the desire to play. A logical and probable assumption. What could happen to them? Mid season retirements of 5-6 players involved? A whole host of players asking for trades? Player management has to be of concern; to write off the entire list some rated a big finals chance only 6-7 games ago based on an emotionally trying time could lead us to throw the baby out with the bath water.

It's also an assumption that removing Hird will release the pressure valve, the players might be out of energy but his relationship with them maybe keeping them together.

Now I'm playing devil's advocate here as I think removing him is the right move, but to consider them completely irrelevant would be another failing in due diligence to the further detriment of our club.

 

[Duckworth]

Saying he should be axed at the end of the year and your not anti hird, ok?

Serious question, do you read the posts that you quote?

 

[Beerfish]

I don't need any favours.

The audience stood to a man/woman and gave Bomber thunderous applause.

I was on a table of sponsors. They clapped so hard when Bomber indicated that he was staying as coach, we could hardly hear him talk.

So you believe if the audience was asked to vote that night, they would have give Hird (and his lawyers) overwhelming support?

If not, what exactly are you implying?

Have you forgotten the rumour buzzing around the tables that Hird had just been sacked thanks to some shrivelled up prune that writes for a certain 'newspaper' or did that not make it all the way up to the sponsor tables? Do you think that might have had something to do with it?

 

[MarkG]

Have you forgotten the rumour buzzing around the tables that Hird had just been sacked thanks to some shrivelled up prune that writes for a certain 'newspaper' or did that not make it all the way up to the sponsor tables? Do you think that might have had something to do with it?

Agree with shriveled up prune and nothing would piss Essendon supporters off more than giving her the pleasure of saying "Told you so". Whatever happens to Hird must be done with complete dignity and he must remain a legend of the club. You mean Bomber got the word from that trollop that Hird was going to be sacked and an official at the club told him later that Hird was staying as coach?

 

[Lads23]

if the bombers lose this weekend to melbourne by 100+ points .... surely Hird has to go, what a disgrace if it happens two weeks in a row

 

[MarkG]

How about Sheedy helping Hird on match day as coach? I think Hird was trying to emulate Sheeds when he was playing with that board in the coaches box.... he was probably thinking what would Sheeds do in this circumstance.

Sheedy would immediately recruit a couple of enforcers in the team, a bit like Bellamy at the Storm.

Then he would build his team around the 2 mongrels.

 

[MightyDons4]

Keep him to the end of the year, then tell him his services are no longer needed.

 

[chrisdon16]

if the bombers lose this weekend to melbourne by 100+ points .... surely Hird has to go, what a disgrace if it happens two weeks in a row

What happens this week or for the rest of the year is irrelevant. The damage has been done.

 

[ManWithNoName]

The more I think about it the more I can't see a reason for keeping him, besides money/ability to attract a quality replacement pre WADA.

Regardless of the degree to which you hold him responsible, he played a large part in trashing this club in every way. Like it or not, that has to be factored in to this decision. It's too big to just ignore. Regardless of our results we were always regarded as a fairly well run, successful off field team. Up to a few antics here and there, Sheedy like, but well maintained money wise and never causing much of a fuss.

Now? We're a joke. We're a punchline. We're an easy target. We're "oh well it could be worse, I could go for Essendon". Everyone responsible for this catastrophic **** up has been removed, or has left, the club, besides two people. Doc Reid, who tried to stop it but arguably didn't do enough, but has been a doctor at the club for longer than most of our list has been alive and has probably earned the right to stay there. And James Hird, the architect of the whole scheme. Not only is he still there, he got handed a ****ing contract extension the day he plead guilty to the AFL and suspended for a year. Yes, I admit I supported it at the time as lots of people did, but who among us was thinking clearly at that time? Not many. But we're not the board, we don't have to. His coaching performance didn't really demand a contract extension, it was okay but hardly stand out. But it set the tone. That we placed James Hird above the club. Yes, he led us into the situation that saw the club obliterated by unprecedented penalties. And yes, his coaching hadn't been that good. But here Hirdy, have a paid year off and another two year contract. For that decision, I strongly question Paul Little's leadership. He placed Hird above the club.

Then there's his coaching. I won't say a lot here because people much more articulate than I have already done so, but as I just said, his performance in no way *demanded* a 2 year extension off the bat. We've never had a consistently successful year under Hird. We keep falling in heaps under him. 2011 we only won 6 of our last 14 games. 2012 3 of our last 13. 2013 1 of our last 6. And this year, well. Speaks for itself. He's shown nothing to show he's a coach worth persisting with into a fifth season, which is what next year would be. His coaching ability and performance do not deserve this.

Now, why am I becoming more in favour of getting rid of him sooner rather than later? Because it'll send a message. To everyone. Players. Sponsors. Supporters. Everyone. It sends a message that we're a club moving forward. Hird ties us back to that period. Like it or not, he does. We see it. So imagine what the players must think. To me it says that, to an extent, we're okay with what the club did during that period. I want us to forget that time. I want us to cut it out and move on. We can't do that with Hird there. So to maintain his role he'd need to be performing exceptionally well. Which he is not. So, IMO, the time for him to go has come.

 

[YEMOC NAYR]

For me, he can't sell a rebuild.

I would like a fresh face around the club, someone who is going to commit to a rebuild and sell hope to fans. I don't know where the list, or the club is heading at the moment.

I don't think Hird could convince me otherwise either. For me, he hasn't done enough in his time and has been given ample opportunity. I hope we get Dew or Bolton.

There will always be the stench at the club until he is gone, aswell.

 

[chrisdon16]

he said we should re-assess at the end of the year.

re assess... What exactly? Assess how he has driven this once powerhouse club into crisis mode. Kick a man while he's down, then sack him? For the good of the club, he needs to go now.

 

[Beerfish]

Agree with shriveled up prune and nothing would piss Essendon supporters off more than giving her the pleasure of saying "Told you so". Whatever happens to Hird must be done with complete dignity and he must remain a legend of the club. You mean Bomber got the word from that trollop that Hird was going to be sacked and an official at the club told him later that Hird was staying as coach?

This is what I believe happened:

• The club told the AFL they were going to sack Hird the day of the Crichton.
• The AFL told pruneface the club was going to sack Hird.
• The club told Bomber sometime before his speech (probably not long before) that Hird was about to be sacked and his speech reflected this information which everyone believed at the time to be true.
• Hird got wind of his imminent sacking and told the club in no uncertain terms through his lawyers over the next 24-48 hours or so that that would be an extremely unwise decision.
• The club turned around and said Hird was safe.
• Pruneface changes her headline from "Hird sacked" to "Hird to be sacked in coming days" before reverting back to the good old "Hird should be sacked" when it bacame apparent he wasn't going to be in the near future.
• Bomber gets left holding his proverbial and looking like a fool at best and a dirty, no good, back stabbing so and so at worst depending on who you talk to.

 

[Duckworth]

re assess... What exactly? Assess how he has driven this once powerhouse club into crisis mode. Kick a man while he's down, then sack him? For the good of the club, he needs to go now.

Short term fix.

 

[Lads23]

What happens this week or for the rest of the year is irrelevant. The damage has been done.

I don't disagree with you mate, however another 100 point loss would be icing on Hird's future imo, especially against melbourne, who we typically seem to struggle against.

 

[YEMOC NAYR]

It's more than just a 100 point loss. We haven't been competitive (Hawks game excluded) since round 8.

 

[citizen-erased]

It's more than just a 100 point loss. We haven't been competitive (Hawks game excluded) since round 8.

rd 3 really. carlton were too inept to beat us at that stage.

 

[HirdyLannister]

Stewie Dew is the only replacement coach I want

 

[chrisdon16]

I don't disagree with you mate, however another 100 point loss would be icing on Hird's future imo, especially against melbourne, who we typically seem to struggle against.

It would. So that's why we all should be going for the Dees this week. Wouldn't be surprised if we actually win this game, then people automatically forget about last week.

 

[ManWithNoName]

It would. So that's why we all should be going for the Dees this week. Wouldn't be surprised if we actually win this game, then people automatically forget about last week.

Jog on.

 

[chrisdon16]

Stewie Dew is the only replacement coach I want

Would be great wouldn't it? Next year is actually looking pretty bloody exciting. No more saga (hopefully), New coach. New game plan.