The bullet has been bitten. Essendon Football Club and their head coach, James Hird, are set to part ways after a reign that started joyous and ended in terror.
Sunday’s belting at the hands of Adelaide – a game that was reminiscent of the Skilled Stadium disaster that led to the demise of Dean Bailey as Melbourne coach a few years back – forced the powerbrokers’ collective hand.
More:
>> James Hird resigns as Essendon coach
>> Essendon and James Hird press conference – live updates
>> The coach must always pay the price
But this is only the beginning. The supplements saga does not end with the demise of another central protagonist.
While the departure of Hird has a distinct air of inevitability about it, the uncertainty remains as to what happens to almost every other facet of the club.
I was very bullish on Essendon’s list earlier in the season. To me, they were a lock for the top eight, playing with a game plan to match it with the big boys. When I wrote about the Dons after Round 4, I was convinced they could mount a challenge for the flag. But I threw in an almighty caveat: the extent to which their 2014 campaign was a function of Mark Thompson’s coaching scheme would decide their fate.
Victory over the Hawks in Round 2 was, effectively, the high water mark of their 2015 campaign, which unravelled for a host of reasons. Injury, sure, but the spectre of off-field developments had to be hanging over the playing group. But it was Hird’s abject failure to keep the side playing Thompson’s way that doomed the team.
The list, chock full of strong veteran talent, now looks too old and too slow to offer much to a new head coach. A rebuild has been ordered, as evidenced by senior assistant Mark Harvey’s remarks on Melbourne radio over the weekend.
That’s all well and good. But who in their right mind would trade in players who, rightly or wrongly, are staring down the barrel of a two-year ban from the World Anti Doping Authority? Even if there is a remote risk of this outcome, and even if it could take a year or two to eventuate, the potential loss of list flexibility and all-important salary cap space will be a bridge too far for most clubs.
Recent reports suggest up to 20 Essendon players are out of contract at the end of this season. Some will retire, some will seek to move to other clubs, but many will have no choice but to re-sign.
The on field ramifications are big, but it could be off the field where things start to get very ugly for the club.
Early reports suggest Hird will receive his full entitlements, meaning the club will pay some $1 million for an empty chair. That would make it the third time in just five years the club has thrown money at shadows. It has an additional $800,000 in AFL fines to pay, too.
The loss of AFL capital out of this is simply staggering. I’ve seen some back-of-the-envelope calculations that suggest Essendon alone has destroyed close to $8 million throughout this process. Thats almost a full year of Total Player Payments (salary cap).
Essendon’s cash in the bank has shrunk from more than $12 million in 2012 to just shy of $2 million in 2014. You’d expect the belt will tighten a notch or two once 2015’s financial report is released in November.
That Hird was granted a two-year, seven-figure contract extension throughout this ordeal beggared belief at the time, and it beggars belief now. The board, which has overseen miscalculation after miscalculation throughout the later stages of this crisis, should be held to account by their constituents, the members.
The reaction to the latest chapter in what is now clearly the biggest crisis to hit the AFL in modern times will be fascinating to watch. Will the members continue to be led down the garden path?
Change, after four years, is finally forthcoming.
Gecko
Guest
In 5 years' time, it'll be interesting to see a line graph of Essendon membership and the Essendon bank balance from 2010-2020. My guess is that both lines will drop drastically, with or without a new board.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
I like to think of Tania and James as being like Roberta and Carl Williams on Underbelly... I imagine they'd talk in exactly the same way
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Maybe Tania's giving the dud legal advice
Chancho
Roar Rookie
You're right, he did too. Thanks
Malahka
Guest
Is it just coincidence that Hird resigned just before the rights mega deal was announced? Conspiracy much?
Chancho
Roar Rookie
When you look back at all that's happened you can see why they made certain decisions, but when you consider it further it seems they were made when better options were available. Following the huge fine, the 12-month ban and the trip to business school in France, an extension at the time seemed the worst thing to do. He'd annoyed the AFL too much, so EFC re-signing him was another 'up yours' to the administrators just at the time when they didn't need that. Then banning James from attending the clubs best and fairest did nothing positive for the unity of James, the players, and the club/board. My take on the whole supplements saga has been that if they were embarking on a trial for the bulk of the side that hadn't really been explored elsewhere then surely there would be documentation showing what was taken and what the results were... to me I'm staggered that not even the basic's were documented in the trial and suggests something is not above board. They were proven to be negligent in that, but the appeals continued and at that point it seemed like a case of 'he who doth protest too much' and trying too hard to convince others of your innocence. I'm all for fighting for your rights and actually do applaud James for not giving in, but he must have got some dud legal advice to continue and just having the cases go against in such a routine manner.... I presume these are the same that are suggesting to sue the insurer?
Chancho
Roar Rookie
after he, Paul and Xavier have the midget-tossing meeting
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Maybe Gordon assessed the situation quite well? It's only an issue if WADA come up with something.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
You'd wonder with smart people like Peter Gordon why they recruited Crameri in the circumstances, unless they could be confident of recovering his salary from Essendon if forced to sit-out for any lengthy period of time. I would have thought if you engage a person knowing the risks upfront, then the risks are yours as an organisation to accept and are therefore duly transferred from Essendon.
mattyb
Guest
Nice point jax.
Michael
Guest
I begrudgingly renewed my membership at the start of this year and was definitely not going to renew next year if Hird was still in. I still probably won't unless they get rid of at least Little.
Paul
Roar Rookie
Perhaps we should attempt to recoup 142 years of wages from players, coaches etc from ST Kilda, after all they have won one premiership in that time frame.
Paul
Roar Rookie
I am not a Bombers fan and my whole perspective on the media has changed since this saga began, i have been totally disgusted how the media has relentlessly chased him for years led by Caroline Wilson, it has been a disgrace, she is nothing more than a nasty gossip columnist not a football journo of any note. Many people must be very happy to see Hird go, but listening to part of his departing words it is quite clear he has more class in his little finger than the swarming mass of haters on social media and the unjustified vitriol that has come his way undeservedly so IMO the last 3 years. If in fact WADA finds the players innocent, which is a big chance, where does it leave everyone who has jumped on the bandwagon of hate for the last 3 years ?. They have effectively destroyed a coach, players and club.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"There’s a non-trivial risk that one or two that don’t get picked up by the Dons, or by other clubs, and can prove that its because of the drugs issue, sue Essendon for professional damages" I'd imagine this would be similar to (if not identical) to a defamation case.
Ryan Buckland
Expert
There's a non-trivial risk that one or two that don't get picked up by the Dons, or by other clubs, and can prove that its because of the drugs issue, sue Essendon for professional damages. I can't think of what the legal term is...but yeah, I think its definitely in play.
Cameron Rose
Expert
It's going to be truly fascinating to see the shake-up of the Essendon list at the end of the season. I think clubs will take a punt on Dons players, but won't want to give up too much for them. I wonder how many, if any, will walk away from the game before their time.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Simon Goodwin signed with Melbourne last year and will succeed Roos when he steps down at the end of next year.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
Just read that Little will step down once the WADA process has finished... you could say kudos for sticking through it, or from a more practical point of view, considering his handling of the situation to date that EFC are in for a bumpy ride. You're right about the coaching market for the year though, might have saved Lepitch's job given the constrained market. Also with Roos coming to an end soon could add to this (although I suspect this will be an internal replacement given that's how they're building up).
BigAl
Guest
It's still not clear to me whether he was sacked or resigned, which usually has some impact on payout figures. I would assume though that the Hird camp would negotiate exit terms
jax
Guest
I'm not a Bombers fan nor am I a Hird supporter but that doesn't hide the fact that the media have hounded them relentlessly. I could live with that if they were consistent but they aren't. For example, Mike Firzpatrick is not getting much media attention after Colless' remarks but he should be as the allegations involve compromisation of the draft. The Pies aren't getting much media attention over the 8 players on their list (18% of their list) that been caught taking drugs or self-reported since 2013. My point is that the media is biased, it always has an agenda and you would be foolish to believe even one word of it without checking the facts out for yourself. I have zero respect for the media and that was long before the Bombers woes.