James Hird inches toward coaching return with Port Melbourne

Essendon great James Hird is inching towards a comeback to the senior coaching ranks, which could see him coaching his son at one of the VFL’s biggest clubs.

A James Hird return could be on. Picture. Phil Hillyard

James Hird is on the verge of a shock coaching comeback with the soon-to-be-vacant job at Port Melbourne certain to be offered to the Essendon legend.

This masthead exclusively revealed on Wednesday that Hird was the No. 1 target for one of Victorian football’s most iconic clubs and sources close to Hird have confirmed his interest in the role.

Hird’s son, Tom, is a senior player of increasing prominence at the Borough and has played 33 games for the club since he signed last year.

The family has fallen in love with Port Melbourne and is extremely grateful for what it has done for Tom.

The Hirds hosted a number of Port players following their victory over Geelong this year, where Tom polled three coaches’ votes.

Port Melbourne football director Toby Pinwill is leading the pursuit of Hird. While nothing has been formalised, a key meeting could take place as early as next week.

Current coach Adam Skrobalak told players on Tuesday night that he and his family were moving to Queensland and he would depart at the end of the season.

Is James Hird about to make a return? (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

It’s understood Hird has acted as a sounding board for Skrobalak at turbulent times this season.

Hird could command as much as $200,000 for the coaching position. But money is not believed to be an obstacle for Port, whose No. 1 ticket holder has been billionaire pokies king Bruce Mathieson.

Hird must weigh up whether he can take on a senior coaching commitment given his business interests as managing director of Euree Asset.

But Matthew Lloyd said in 2022 that Hird’s passion was coaching.

“He’s obviously got the passion to coach. We saw him go through the (Essendon) process. How good would it be for him to go into another system for 12-24 months and get that coaching experience back,” Lloyd said.

“To me, he’s doing so well in business, but this is what his passion is – it’s to coach.

“Once his playing days ended he wanted to be coach so it would be great to see him back. He missed out this time (to Brad Scott), but hopefully he can improve himself under somebody else.”

With key candidates Dean Cox and Josh Carr dropping out of the West Coast race it would not surprise if Hird was open to taking a call from the Eagles should they decide to consider him.

Hird last coached at senior level at Essendon in 2015.

If the Borough can pull off the mega signing it would mark Hird the champion’s first return to football since he served as an assistant coach at Greater Western Sydney in 2022.

Close friend Mark McVeigh, who was caretaker coach of the Giants following Leon Cameron’s departure in 2022, wooed him back to the box for the second half of that season.

The Giants players loved Hird and the club invited him to apply for the senior coaching position that was eventually won by Adam Kingsley.

Hird, 51, chose not to enter that coaching race out of loyalty to McVeigh, who desperately wanted the job.

But when the Bombers sacked Ben Rutten at the end of 2022 they also asked Hird to apply for the job.

Hird was recently an assistant at GWS. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Hird was interviewed for several hours by the Bombers’ coaching panel that included Jordan Lewis and Robert Walls and was chaired by then-Bombers football boss Josh Mahoney.

It would have been a fairytale return to Tullamarine and one welcomed by the club’s 70,000 members.

But the Bombers instead appointed Brad Scott, despite board member Kevin Sheedy revealing he voted for Hird over Scott.

Port Melbourne, celebrating its 150th year of football, is certain to place a call to Hird if it has not already.

Securing Hird would arguably be the most historic coaching appointment in the league’s rich history.

Hird’s son Tom is a senior player of increasing prominence at Port and there has been speculation for weeks that the club will attempt the coup of bringing him back to coaching.

Tom Hird has played 61 VFL matches – 28 for Essendon (2021-22) and 33 for Port Melbourne (2023-current).

The 23-year-old has averaged 19.3 disposals this year and polled three coaches’ votes in the round 13 win against Geelong.

Skrobalak told the Port board six weeks ago that he would not be going on.

Skrobalak has been in charge since 2022 after replacing Gary Ayres, who was unceremoniously axed after a long and successful tenure that took in the 2011 and 2017 premierships.

Port finished 16th in 2022, 15th in 2023 and will not play in the finals this year after being toppled by Coburg by five points last Sunday at the City Oval.

It left the Borough at 5-10.

Port Melbourne Head Coach Adam Skrobalak. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

They were expected to push up the ladder after a rich recruiting drive that brought in former AFL-listers Tom Highmore, Roarke Smith, Billy Gowers, Dan McKenzie, Robbie McComb, Sam Philp, Lachie Rankin, Tobe Watson and Kye Turner.

But injuries and a lack of form from some of the signings have brought thin results.

Skrobalak was under pressure after his team dropped its first five games.

Its fortunes since have fluctuated, from putting the whip to fierce rival Williamstown and ending Geelong’s long runs of wins to falling to the Lions.

In a statement last night, Skrobalak, a former St Kilda AFL assistant, said he and his family had decided to move to Queensland.

“I have loved my time at the Borough and I am proud of the work that has been done,’’ he said.

“I feel we have put a program in place that is built around professional standards and player development and will certainly help the group going forward.’’

Port Melbourne football director Toby Pinwill said: “Adam will always be part of the Borough family and we thank him for his hard work and dedication over the past three seasons. We wish Adam and his family all the best”.

Port said the process to replace Skrobalak had already started “and an announcement will be made in due course’’.