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As the siren sounded at Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening to confirm Adelaide’s 112-point drubbing of Essendon, the writing on the wall was clear; James Hird should have been moved along a while ago.
After what was another chapter in the tumultuous year that has been for Essendon, it’s almost glaringly obvious that the Bombers have held on to Hird for too long.
JAMES HIRD RESIGNS AS ESSENDON COACH
In hindsight, Hird was probably an odd choice to replace Matthew Knights at the helm back in 2011.
There was no denying Hird’s ability as a footballer. Five All-Australians, a Brownlow medal, a Norm Smith medal and the 2000 Premiership are all a testament to the sheer quality of Hird the player, not to mention the five Essendon Best and Fairest awards and two Bombers’ leading goal kicker awards he won.
He captained the club, and showed unbelievable courage and determination to persevere through the litany of injuries he suffered, the most horrific of which was back in 2002 in Perth, where his face collapsed after a collision with a teammate. He was much loved by Bombers supporters and the wider footballing community alike, and understandably so.
That being said, that should not have been enough to qualify Hird for the role of coach at Windy Hill. No one could ever fill the shoes of the great Kevin Sheedy, his time at the club left a legacy at the Bombers, and setting the bar high for those who came directly after him. Though it is probably extremely unfair to compare Hird, or even Knights, to Sheedy.
But it’s clear to see that neither of these former great players were fit or experienced enough to continue the good work that Sheedy had done during his reign. Hird traded on his ‘favourite son’, ‘Brownlow medalist’ and ‘Premiership captain’ tags, and did not have the experience or an apprenticeship at a successful club like most coaches who do well in the modern game do.
Despite this, Hird did well in his first year. In 2011, Hird was like the grand old Duke of York. He marched Essendon toward the top of the ladder, before a slide back down to the bottom, which was followed by a climb back halfway up into the eight where the Bombers lost to Carlton in an elimination final.
Despite an extraordinary start to the 2012 season, the Bombers crashed to 11th by the end of the year, and suddenly questions about Hird’s ability to coach were being asked. Then of course came the now infamous Essendon drugs scandal which saw Essendon booted out of the finals series in 2013, and Hird’s suspension, which he spent in the south of France.
The scandal saw the end of both Stephen Dank and ‘The Weapon’, and really should have spelled the end of Hird too. It is incredulous to think that a club would keep a man in power who, whether the Bombers were guilty or not, exposed the club to such speculation and negative media attention. As head coach, the buck should have stopped with Hird in this saga, but for whatever reason, the Bombers chose to keep him.
Now, however, Essendon’s chickens have come home to roost. On paper, the Bombers are a very good team who qualified for the finals in both 2013 and 2014. The likes of Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell, Brendon Goddard and Michael Hurley, all very good players in their own right, were bolstered by the inclusions of Paul Chapman and Adam Cooney, and the rise of youngsters Joe Daniher, Marty Gleeson and Zach Merrett.
Elsewhere on the field, the Bombers are a talented outfit. Clearly, these Bombers are not playing their best football under Hird. It’s easy to speculate what it is exactly that the players don’t like; some have suggested they’re extremely fatigued by the continuing WADA investigation and the constant media hype, others have suggested it has more to do with player dissatisfaction with Hird’s structures and game plans.
It may be a dangerous combination of the two. Regardless, Hird ultimately needs to accept responsibility for the fact that his decisions have led to the rapid failure of this football team.
With three rounds to go in the 2015 season, it’s unlikely that Hird’s contract will be terminated at Thursday’s board meeting. However, if Essendon were to continue with Hird at the helm, it would be a slap in the face of all those who want to see the Bombers do well.
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