James Hird taken to hospital with major health scare
UPDATE: TANIA Hird has broken her silence on her husband’s overdose, saying his health is her primary concern.
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TANIA Hird has broken her silence on her husband’s overdose, saying his health is her primary concern.
James Hird was taken to Cabrini hospital after an ambulance was called to his Toorak home late on Wednesday night to treat him for a suspected drug overdose.
Speaking for the first time on the Essendon legend’s condition, Mrs Hird thanked the public for its support.
“We wish to express our appreciation for the public support that has been given to James and our family since news of his hospitalisation became known.
“At this time James and the Hird family are in need of privacy.
“We ask that this privacy be respected.
“We particularly ask this of the media contingent currently gathered at our house.
“James’ health is our primary focus and concern.
“We will making no further comment.”
Mrs Hird’s comments come after Essendon threw its support behind Hird following his drug overdose.
Hird’s condition is still unknown, however the Herald Sun understands he was transferred from Cabrini’s on Wednesday afternoon to a specialist mental health centre where he is still receiving care.
Sources close to Hird raised fears about the former star’s welfare in recent weeks.
Essendon Football Club Chairman Lindsay Tanner said the club is offering support to Hird and his family.
“On behalf of the entire Essendon family our thoughts are with James Hird and his family.
“This is a personal and private matter and we ask the media to respect the privacy of James and his family.
“The Club will continue to offer its support to James and the Hird family.”
Hird maintained a strong persona throughout his three-year fight over the Essendon doping scandal, but concerned friends feared yesterday he may have been putting on a brave face.
One former Essendon colleague expressed private concerns about Hird’s welfare in the weeks leading up to Christmas and was keeping in regular contact with him, worried about his mental state.
This afternoon Hird’s wife Tania Hird left the family’s Toorak home at 12.15pm with their daughter and three sons.
A courier arrived just before 1pm to deliver flowers to the Hird family.
Cabrini Health has refused to confirm whether the controversial former Essendon coach was treated due to patient confidentiality.
“We are unable to provide information on any individual patient. The safety, wellbeing and privacy of all our patients is of utmost importance at Cabrini,” hospital spokeswoman Christine Elmer said.
Health sources confirmed Hird’s treatment related to a suspected drug overdose, but refused to speculate on events leading up to the health scare.
Beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett said the incident was a “cry for help”.
“Assuming these stories have a basis of fact, this is a cry for help by an individual and I hope that he will get that help,” Mr Kennett told SEN.
“Quite clearly we don’t know the circumstances, but when a young person — male or female — attempts to take their life, particularly with drugs, it is a cry for help.
“Without knowing the circumstances, this individual is a young man, (with a) family, obviously he has got circumstances he wishes to deal with, but you’ve heard me say so many times before, the greatest gift we have is the gift of life. Regardless of the circumstances with which we are facing ... life is by far the better option.”
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley offered his support to Hird on Twitter.
The presumption that people who play sport well are bullet proof allows personal attacks hidden behind "public interest". (Pt 1)
— Nathan Buckley (@ncb_cfc) January 5, 2017
“The presumption that people who play sport well are bullet proof allows personal attacks hidden behind ‘public interest’,” he tweeted.
“Keep us honest and critically analyse professional efforts but allow clubs to manage and support people in all their brilliance and foibles.”
Former North Melbourne and Sydney champion Wayne Schwass, who battled depression during his career, gave his support to Hird tweeting: “Stigma is ignorance, uneducated, unwarranted & unfair. We cannot tolerate it because peoples lives depend on our support NOT OUR JUDGEMENT!”
Hird has been criticised in some quarters for failing to accept responsibility for his role in the Bombers’ supplements fiasco.
Hird opened up on the 2012 program in the Herald Sun, detailing anger and regret relating to the supplements program and also a mixture of pride and sympathy for the 34 past and present players involved.
“As both a former coach and player, I have many conflicting and deep emotions,” Hird wrote.
“I feel deeply, deeply sorry for the players. I believe the players are innocent.
“I feel guilt, shame, anger and regret all at once. I also have some pride at what the players achieved in the most difficult of circumstances and admiration for the resilience and strength they have shown through these years.
“I trusted that the protocol was followed, that when I and others issued further instructions, they were followed.
“That’s why if I were to do things differently, it would be to trust less, to ask more questions, and demand more answers.”
Hird played 253 games for Essendon between 1992 and 2007, sharing the 1996 Brownlow Medal with Michael Voss and winning two premierships 1993 and 2000, when he was captain.
He was selected in the All-Australian team five times and won the Bombers’ best and fairest award on five occasions. He also captained the club from 1998 to 2005 before retiring at the end of 2007.
Hird and wife Tania have four children, a daughter and three sons.
TIMELINE — JAMES HIRD’S STORY
1990 — Hird is drafted to Essendon at pick No. 79 in the 1990 national draft.
1993 — He plays in a premiership team in just his 20th game.
1994 — Hird wins the first of five Best and Fairest medals. He wins again in 1995, 1996, 2003 and 2007.
1996 — He wins the Brownlow Medal, sharing it with Brisbane’s Michael Voss.
1998 — Appointed Essendon captain.
2000 — After a long recovery from foot and hamstring injuries, Hird leads the team to its best season in league history, winning 23 out of 24 games and a premiership. He wins the Norm Smith Medal as best player afield in the Grand Final.
2002 — Hird suffers serious facial fractures in Round 6 but returns eight weeks later.
He is ranked the third best Essendon player of all time.
2007 — After 253 games for Essendon and 343 goals in a glittering career, Hird retires at the end of the season, alongside legendary coach Kevin Sheedy.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 — Hird appointed Essendon coach for four years. He tells the media he is putting his reputation on the line by returning to the club.
FEBRUARY 5, 2013 — Essendon “self-reports” to ASADA and the AFL, asking the league to investigate concerns about the potential inappropriate use of supplements during the 2012 season.
Hird tells a media conference he is disappointed and shocked.
APRIL 11 — Former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank claims through the media that he injected Hird with Hexarelin, which WADA banned for players in 2004. The claims were denied by Hird and never substantiated.
AUGUST 13 — Hird and Bombers head of football Danny Corcoran, club doctor Bruce Reid and assistant coach Mark Thompson are charged with conduct likely to bring the game into disrepute. The Bombers say they will fight all charges.
AUGUST 26-27 — The Bombers are disqualified from the 2013 finals series, fined $2 million and stripped of their picks in the first two rounds of the 2013 and 2014 national drafts. Hird accepts a 12-month ban.
MARCH 20, 2014 — Hird departs for France with his family, to attend one of the world’s most prestigious business schools.
AUGUST 25 — Hird’s 12-month suspension ends. He returns to work at Essendon, but takes a back seat during the club’s finals campaign.
AUGUST 18, 2015 — Hird resigns as coach, believing the club would not be able to move on from the supplements controversy while he was still in charge.
JANUARY 12, 2016 — The Essendon 34 found guilty of doping by WADA, and 12 current Bombers are banned for 12 months.
JANUARY 14-15 — In a two-part exclusive for the Herald Sun, Hird reveals what happened at Essendon during 2012-13, saying: “I concentrated on my task as head coach, satisfied that the supplement piece of the high-performance puzzle at Essendon was compliant. It seems that what transpired was that the protocol we put in place was not always followed.”
JANUARY 4, 2017 — Hird admitted to hospital.
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