James Hird joins Port Melbourne as director of coaching after turning down senior role

New Port Melbourne coach Brendan McCartney says James Hird is determined to “give back” to football after accepting a role at the VFL powerhouse.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 06: James Hird assistant coach of the Giants look on ahead of the round 21 AFL match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Essendon Bombers at GIANTS Stadium on August 06, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

New Port Melbourne coach Brendan McCartney says Essendon legend James Hird is determined to “give back” to football as the 63-year-old former Bulldogs coach takes up the VFL position.

McCartney was on Monday officially appointed to coach of the famous VFL club, saying his two years working part-time under Collingwood’s Craig McRae had “reinvigorated him” after so many decades in football.

He said McRae had helped “fill in his gaps” in coaching despite believing he would never get back into the job at such a high level.

It was Hird who recommended McCartney after their time together at the Essendon football club.

Hird, 51, declined the chance to be in charge with son Tom on the Port Melbourne list but is likely to be a jack of all trades – chairman of selectors, assistant coach and director of coaching.

James Hird is back in footy. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

McCartney told the Herald Sun the firm friends were thrilled to get the band back together.

“He can see the game, he can teach the game, footballers relate to him. He has still got an amazing aura about him. He is one of the greatest ever to play the game and he’s got a wealth of footy knowledge,” McCartney said of Hird, who resigned as Essendon coach in August 2015.

“He will be the old chairman of selectors, he will be hands-on. Every coach needs help.

“Watching it first hand, he involves everyone, he communicates with everyone and that person in front of him is the most important person in the world.

“He is excited, he wants to get back in and build a footy club and build an environment for success. None of us would ever know what impact (the last decade) had had on him but it’s just so good to see him back visually involved in football and a bit of him wants to give back and also support his son who is there and support the club.”

McCartney has been the coach of the North Ballarat Roosters while helping at Collingwood and also developing school-based football programs that have helped drive attendances in high schools.

Brendan McCartney is the new coach at Port Melbourne. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

“I never thought I would step back in. I had probably had enough when I left Melbourne,” McCartney said.

“Not in a bad way, but you want to do different things in your life and part of that journey was helping build school programs and helping impact the lives of young kids and coaching local footy.

“But the agent for this has been working with ‘Fly’ (Craig McRae) and Leppa (Justin Leppitsch) and Bolts (Brendon Bolton).

“It is just the environment they created. What it did was fill in some gaps for me. Some gaps in my footy knowledge, how to go about things. I spoke to Fly yesterday and he was the catalyst for it all. I thought I had a really good understanding of the basics and fundamentals and he is next level. He is a development coach by trade and he has such a great overview of the game and my knowledge has really grown in the last two years.

“It has reinvigorated me because I never thought I was going back to high level footy.”

HIRD TO MAKE FOOTY RETURN AT VICTORIAN POWERHOUSE

– Paul Amy and Jon Ralph

James Hird turned down the senior coaching position at historic VFL club Port Melbourne, but he has joined the Borough as director of coaching.

The role will reunite the former Essendon champion with his Bombers assistant Brendan McCartney, who will be senior coach.

When Hird declined Port’s approach to replace Adam Skrobalak, he suggested McCartney would be an excellent candidate and they could work together.

McCartney’s arrival was signed off on Friday night, agreeing to a two-year deal.

Hird will sit alongside him in the coaching box in what one Port official called a “sort of chairman of selectors role’’.

James Hird will take on a role at Port Melbourne. Photo by Michael Klein

He will also regularly attend training.

Hird – whose son Tom plays at Port Melbourne – declined the senior position because of his work commitments.

McCartney, 63, coached the Western Bulldogs from 2012-14 and more recently has been at country club North Ballarat.

He also worked at Collingwood this year.

Late last week McCartney announced he would be leaving the Roosters after four years.

“We have always known that a coach of Macca’s calibre would have opportunities beyond North Ballarat and, while we are sad to lose him, we are very supportive of him exploring full- time options to coach at a higher level,” North Ballarat president Richard Start said.

Port Melbourne finished the season with a win over the Northern Bullants yesterday, closing at a disappointing 6-12.