AFL 2022: James Hird a serious contender for Essendon job after Alastair Clarkson chooses North Melbourne

Alastair Clarkson has committed to North Melbourne — and his decision has left the door open for a sensational twist. Here are the exclusive details.

Alastair Clarkson chose North Melbourne as his club of choice. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

James Hird has emerged as a serious contender to coach Essendon next year after Alastair Clarkson chose North Melbourne as his new home.

Hird sensationally quit as coach of the Bombers in 2015 after serving a 12–month suspension imposed on him by the AFL because of the infamous supplement saga.

Hird, 49, emerged has a possibility to coach Essendon in recent days.

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Could James Hird return to Essendon? Picture: Michael Klein

His opening came after Clarkson agreed to a five-year deal to coach the Kangaroos, closing an extraordinary week which started with three clubs chasing his services.

Clarkson was Essendon’s first choice as coach.

The Kangaroos and Clarkson courted each other for a month before Essendon officially sounded out his interest a day after president Paul Brasher resigned.

It’s not known if the new president David Barham has been in contact with Clarkson’s manager James Henderson before then.

Bombers coach Ben Rutten is unlikely to keep his position as the club undertakes an extensive review into all operations of the footy club, which will include a thorough process to find its next coach.

Who will coach Bombers in 2023?

Jon Ralph explores who Essendon could look at.

Ben Rutten

For all the terrible losses, Essendon has beaten Brisbane and Gold Coast in the past six weeks and lost to Collingwood by four points.

But having swung and missed on Clarkson, what happens if they appoint him and Essendon is 2-8 next year? Another year wasted? So many predictions have been wrong so far this week so all we can say is that he has been irreparably damaged by the week.

Could Ben Rutten remain as coach? Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

James Hird

Kevin Sheedy has long been a supporter of James Hird’s return to the club in some capacity, making clear his feelings in an interview with the Herald Sun as recently as June.

Could Hird bring an Essendon dream team with Dean Solomon and Mark McVeigh as assistant coaches?

No one doubts Hird can coach — and he has done the hard yards to help McVeigh these past months.

But a return would be extraordinarily high risk for the administration because if it backfired again they would be seen as culpable in bringing back one of the central elements of a controversy the club has moved so hard to move past.

Ross Lyon

If the Dons did move on Rutten and declined to hire Hird they would need to secure a coach with some cache.

Lyon is the hard task master who would instil discipline, a defensive edge, stronger contest and an identifiably game plan to a team clearly lacking both.

He was bruised by the Carlton process so might need to be wooed instead of signing up for that again.

Adam Kingsley

Kingsley is still in the heart of the GWS process but is clearly ready for the big time. A strong communicator and tactician he could sell the club in a way Rutten hasn’t although Essendon has already tried the same path with Rutten – another Richmond defensive coach – and that hasn’t worked out well so far.

Mark McVeigh

If the Dons ran a full process surely he would be involved as a strong contender given his work at GWS and the connections with his former club. He hasn’t won a lot of games at GWS but if he could bring along his good mate Dean Solomon it would at least give him some chance of winning a process.

Originally published as AFL 2022: James Hird a serious contender for Essendon job after Alastair Clarkson chooses North Melbourne