Coach James Hird - is it time to give him a second chance at coaching an AFL club? Gil says yes!

[Goomba1973]

It's like banging your ex missus..... sure it is pleasant at first and somewhat nostalgic ..... then you get hit with the BS that made you remember why she is your ex. Essendon NEED to move on, even entertaining him coaching them again shows they have not and reeks of desperation.

 

[kranky al]

Imagine this: the team rallies. Hird has been drafting a master plan for an epic comeback, putting the pieces together with Kevin Sheedy like a general before battle. He's spent the last seven years and millions of dollars hiring a crack team of data scientists and football historians to weed through the archives, to crunch the numbers and best configure his team for a shot at the big one. This is it: his moment for redemption and to show what he and the team has what it takes to once again make it to the premiership dais.

James's son Tom gets picked up again in the rookie draft after being delisted the year before. He plays out of mind all year. He shows great promise and gets his chance in the elimination final after an injury. He plays well and cements his place in the side. The Bombers win their first final in 19 years. The Bombers with the semi and the prelim, and their through to the granny.

It's Essendon vs. Carlton in the 2023 AFL Grand Final. Over 100 years of history between the teams. It's 16 flags apiece. It's the final five minutes. BT is frothing at the mouth in the final 2 minutes. The Bombers are down by 5 points. Carlton's Sam Walsh is flooding back to the back flank. He chips the ball across to a loose player about 60 metres from goal, but Tom Hird comes like a bolt from the blue and takes a miraculous hanger.

The siren goes. The audience holds their breath. Hird can't kick this far with a drop punt; he has to channel his inner Malcolm Blight and go for broke. He takes a breath, angles the ball slightly, and launches a perfect torpedo that sails betwixt the big sticks for a goal. BT defenestrates his laptop and orgasms on camera. Tom runs into the crowd and hugs the leader of the Essendon cheer squad.

"Like father, like son," James Brayshaw proclaims. "This is the greatest thing to have ever happened in 165 years of Australian rules football," he adds. 100,000 people stand on their feet in rapturous applause as both Hirds are chaired around the ground like Egyptian pharaohs.

Hollywood comes calling. It wins an Academy Award for best picture.

I wake up. It's 9:29 am. It's September 15th, 2022. I'm late for work. s**t.

Mate ya had me going for a minute there - almost had me barracking for the PEDophiles - good writing.

 

[RUNVS]

Hird has basically avoided interviews since he was finally sacked. If he becomes coach he won't be able to avoid them anymore and there are journalists who are going to ask much harder questions than Robbo will.

 

[kranky al]

It's like banging your ex missus..... sure it is pleasant at first and somewhat nostalgic ..... then you get hit with the BS that made you remember why she is your ex. Essendon NEED to move on, even entertaining him coaching them again shows they have not and reeks of desperation.

At the end of the day they are despo…. Noone is interested in their job bar folks who wont get a gig elsewhere.

 

[HairyO]

Hird has basically avoided interviews since he was finally sacked. If he becomes coach he won't be able to avoid them anymore and there are journalists who are going to ask much harder questions than Robbo will.

"When did you last have any contact with Shane Charter?"

 

[RUNVS]

At the end of the day they are despo…. Noone is interested in their job bar folks who wont get a gig elsewhere.

For those older than me when was there last time that majority of coaches in a race for a senior coaching position pulled out or actively stated they did not want said position?

I mean even a basket case of Melbourne 12 years ago or North Melbourne today still had plenty of really good coaches who wanted the gig. Essendon though, it is weird that so many coaches don't want it. I wonder wha they know that we don't.

 

[demondavey]

Form an orderly queue, ladies

Come at me..

 

[nut]

New head of Essendon Membership department.

 

[Del165198]

Hird has basically avoided interviews since he was finally sacked. If he becomes coach he won't be able to avoid them anymore and there are journalists who are going to ask much harder questions than Robbo will.

Robbo: Jim, how did you deal with being so brilliant and sexy? And isn't it unfair how all the media tried to persecute you? I love ya jimbo

 

[demondavey]

For those older than me when was there last time that majority of coaches in a race for a senior coaching position pulled out or actively stated they did not want said position?

I mean even a basket case of Melbourne 12 years ago or North Melbourne today still had plenty of really good coaches who wanted the gig. Essendon though, it is weird that so many coaches don't want it. I wonder wha they know that we don't.

It could be that taking on a basket case comes with a heap of pressure. Even Noble lasted less than 12 months in an environment that should have allowed him a few years. It’s a bit of a poisoned chalice. I think a lot of blokes just might not want the pressure of being in the gun non stop coaching a big 4 club. The media pile on is so intense these days.

 

[Del165198]

It could be that taking on a basket case comes with a heap of pressure. Even Noble lasted less than 12 months in an environment that should have allowed him a few years. It’s a bit of a poisoned chalice. I think a lot of blokes just might not want the pressure of being in the gun non stop coaching a big 4 club. The media pile on is so intense these days.

Unless you're ken Hinkley and have his media manager. Never has anyone flown under the radar for so long, and any criticism is quickly slapped down.

 

[demondavey]

Hird has basically avoided interviews since he was finally sacked. If he becomes coach he won't be able to avoid them anymore and there are journalists who are going to ask much harder questions than Robbo will.

And this is actually the one time I want them to get interview him and go seriously hard.

 

[demondavey]

Unless you're ken Hinkley and have his media manager. Never has anyone flown under the radar for so long, and any criticism is quickly slapped down.

I think to be fair he has had you in contention in 20 & 21, two very close PF losses in that time as well since 14.

 

[jj1978]

Robbo: Jim, how did you deal with being so brilliant and sexy? And isn't it unfair how all the media tried to persecute you? I love ya jimbo

 

[Del165198]

I think to be fair he has had you in contention in 20 & 21, two very close PF losses in that time as well since 14.

Not the thread for it, but all fair minded port supporters disagree. He's had every chance in the world.

 

[ESKIE]

If he gets the gig what will he do with his hair what hair style will he have that’s what I want to know
I’ll go blonde tips

 

[amazingjoshy]

48% winning record while doping a whole list ....and 27% winning record while an assistant

Please please do it Bombers

 

[hoddo22]

Surely the AFL can intervene and ensure he has umpiring on his side to facilitate a smooth transition!

Considering that the AFL were Essendon's greatest ally throughout the drug saga (despite what those who overdosed on the kool aid think) this would not suprise me at all.

On SM-G781B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Even though I dislike the EFC with a passion, even sometimes you have to feel for your enemy. Are they really that blind? I'm seeing articles now from media and fan forum sites going on how Hird's presentation to the committee was awesome. Yet we don't hear how good some of the other candidates did specifically.

You have Robbo (aka Slobbo) going on during 360 that the board should make the decision on Hird and not the committee (wtf??)... preceded and followed by all his articles attempting to inject in the minds of the EFC board, members, supporters and wider AFL community that the return of the Hird is the right thing. Hearing shyte like bringing Hird back will be the thing to "unite", "heal" and its constant bombardment is a tactic used to subliminally make everyone slowly come around and think it's the right thing to do.

If I'm one of the other candidates now, I'd be pulling out! Can see why other potentials told them to eff-off or didn't apply.

If the board had the nads they needed they'd be booting Sheedy out immediately and banning Robbo from being allowed to be involved EFC related media indefinitely.

I think that is what I would be doing too, though maybe on slightly different grounds.

I would just reason if the club was insane enough to even entertain re-appointing Hird coach it is not a club I want to be anywhere near.

Hird must be an incredible salesman to get a club to actually consider him on the shortlist for a senior coaching role. That he has been able to convince Essendon of all clubs to do so is a sand to the arabs effort. He had a losing coaching record at Essendon, and it is not like they entered a rebuild when he started coaching. His intervention in 2022 at GWS can only be objectively judged as an unmitigated disaster as they dropped from 6th to 16th and sacked their coach, in their worst season in recent memory. This can hardly be seen as a raging success for a person initially appointed to the position of leadership advisor, whatever that is. His move into a prominent coaching role once Cameron was sacked heralded a 4-10 record, the 4 wins being against fellow bottom 6 teams, 2 of which were the weakest seen in the AFL for many years. Many of the 10 losses were comprehensive.

The only positive credential on Hird’s coaching CV is Essendon’s 14-8 107% record in 2013, the year they were kicked out of the finals for the drug cheating program that he instigated. Which just says it all.

It is impossible to locate any sound reasoning for Essendon even considering appointing Hird senior coach at this or any other time.

 

[Iskender Time]

Well done, Essendon. Such a ludicrous proposition can only produce a discussion that makes the main board barely distinguishable from the Bay.

 

[mellowyellow]

48% winning record while doping a whole list ....and 27% winning record while an assistant

Please please do it Bombers

That 48% could be 38% without the use of supplements

 

[kranky al]

For those older than me when was there last time that majority of coaches in a race for a senior coaching position pulled out or actively stated they did not want said position?

I mean even a basket case of Melbourne 12 years ago or North Melbourne today still had plenty of really good coaches who wanted the gig. Essendon though, it is weird that so many coaches don't want it. I wonder wha they know that we don't.

Oh please. I think we know.

 

[Red Bull]

Form an orderly queue, ladies

 

[kranky al]

Surely the AFL can intervene and ensure he has umpiring on his side to facilitate a smooth transition!

I mean its high time an interstate club played a home final in melbourne. They havnt done so in decades despite victorian clubs being forced to play multiple home finals in melbourne EVERY SINGLE YEAR!!!

Start with that i say!!

 

[The Falcon Strike]

The fact he is being considered shows the club and it's culture has no contrition

By far the most loathsome club in the comp