James Hird likely to be sacked by Essendon today despite surge of support from players

UPDATE: JAMES Hird says he expects to be Essendon coach at the end of the day as the Bombers board prepares to release a statement. Rolling coverage

James Hird exercising on the oval at Essendon's training facility on Monday, October 6, 2014, in Tullamarine Australia. Picture: Hamish Blair

ESSENDON is a powder keg as the club prepares to release a statement about the future of coach James Hird.

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At around 3.40pm AEST, the club confirmed it would release a written statement within the hour. No press conference has been scheduled.

Chief executive Xavier Campbell is at the club’s HQ at Tullamarine.

It’s likely Hird, who arrived at about 9am on Monday, will be sacked despite a strong push by players to retain him.

Hird said he expected to be Bombers coach at the end of today. But pushed on whether he had the full support of the board, he told reporters: “I didn’t say that, I just said I think I’ll be coach at the end of the day.”

Soon afterwards, seemingly unperturbed by the looming board meeting Hird went for a quick run around the Tullamarine oval. After a couple of quick laps of the field the he returned to the clubrooms.

Chairman Paul Little and chief executive Xavier Campbell have been told by senior players they want Hird to coach next year.

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The players also want Mark Thompson to remain at the club, but there are elements on the list who will consider asking for a trade if Hird is sacked and Thompson is appointed.

Skipper Jobe Watson is not as supportive as others.

He emphatically wanted Hird to abandon his litigation in a bid to end the ASADA investigation as quick as possible.

Hird said no.

It’s understood there are some club staff members who have made it known to senior club officials their strong preference is Hird.

Board members, however, believe it is not a player or staff issue, but a matter for the board to decide.

James Hird exercising on the oval at Essendon's training facility at Tullamarine. Picture: Hamish Blair

After a tumultuous four days, the Hird-Thompson friendship is virtually in tatters.

It’s a result of Thompson’s public declaration he wanted the senior job, despite agreeing to be the fill-in coach for 12 months while Hird was suspended.

The friendship broke down after Thompson’s speech and the club best and fairest last Wednesday night.

The two had spoken before the best and fairest — actually, while Thompson was in the car on the way to the count — and it’s understood Thompson showed his continued support of Hird’s legal action, despite knowing that if Hird appealed, Hird would be certainly be sacked.

Hird and Thompson have not spoken since that conversation.

Thompson was roundly applauded by fans for his comments at the best and fairest and the comments went a long way to convincing board members Thompson was the man to coach in 2014.

Mark Thompson speaks during Essendon's best and fairest. Picture: Mark Stewart

Others in the room were surprised by Thompson’s campaigning, knowing that Thompson had been a fierce defender of Hird’s right to appeal.

A series of conversations at the weekend failed to reach any compromise.

There is a growing concern among Essendon fans and influential money men at the club that the AFL has played a strong hand in recent weeks.

The belief — one denied by Essendon — is that the AFL convinced Essendon not to appeal and then urged Essendon to convince Hird not to appeal.

Effectively, they want Hird silenced, which Essendon has ensured for the past 12 months, which has distanced Hird from the fans.

While Thompson is making heartlfet speeches to the masses, Hird has been isolated — and we’ve heard that before.

Despite all of this, Hird could be booted from Essendon by the end of today.

If that happens, a petition to call for an extraordinary general meeting is a certainty.

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Originally published as James Hird likely to be sacked by Essendon today despite surge of support from players