Essendon urged to consider hiring James Hird to support new coach Ben Rutten in 2021

James Hird back at Essendon? A former Bombers captain has urged the club to consider it, especially if he can help Ben Rutten with his new senior coaching role next year. What role could he fill?

Could James Hird take on a role at Essendon again? Picture: Michael Klein

James Hird has been backed to return to Essendon with the club set to free up close to $1 million in the soft cap when coach John Worsfold departs.

Former Bombers captain Brendon Goddard said Hird would be an asset if the right position could be found supporting incoming rookie coach Ben Rutten.

“If they actually think it’s a good fit and there’s a role there for him then I’ll be all for it – I’d love to see him back in football,” Goddard said.

“He was a great players’ coach. He took time out, particularly at the start when he wasn’t distracted with all the other stuff, and had real care and empathy for the players.

“He wanted to chat to them and understand life away from football and he was growing great relationships with his players.”

Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas said Hird would relish a senior position in the football department.

“I subscribe to a coach-manager philosophy,” Thomas said.

“So if Ben’s the match-day coach and he’s doing all that stuff and someone like a James Hird is running football, I think that’s a perfect scenario.

“That probably lends itself more to the structure required in AFL football going forward rather than the quite vulnerable and susceptible and antiquated way that we’ve currently gone about throwing quite inexperienced and unqualified people at senior coaching roles.”

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Could James Hird take on a role at Essendon again? Picture: Michael Klein

Next season will mark nine years since the ill-fated supplements saga and the Bombers will look to throw further support around Rutten before he steps into the driver’s seat.

Rutten is set for a healthy pay rise and the soft cap is shrinking, but Bombers’ high performance boss Sean Murphy is in his first season in charge and they run conservative recruiting and football analyst departments.

The Hird family re-engaged with Essendon this year when James’ son Tom was placed on the rookie list.

That could leave Hird feeling uneasy about returning to the club while chief executive Xavier Campbell was at the helm when Hird was removed as senior coach in 2015.

Hird appeared on a club podcast with Campbell and Jobe Watson earlier this year.

It is understood Essendon has not made an official approach to Hird nor has Hird expressed a desire to return.

But Hird and influential list boss Adrian Dodoro are close friends, dating back to Essendon’s 1992 reserves premiership.

Hird played in that team and Dodoro served as an assistant to coach Denis Pagan.

Hird and David Zaharakis at Essendon training in 2015. Picture: Michael Klein

Powerful supporters are agitating for the Bombers to revert to their assertive ways and plenty would love to see the favourite son return.

“I don’t think any time would’ve needed to have passed (for Hird to return) because I don’t think James Hird has really done anything wrong that’s been explained to me,” Thomas said.

“I know he’s been accused of a lot, but I don’t know what he’s guilty of.

“I think he’s a man of immense talent – both as a footballer, and he’s show acumen towards business as well.

“To that end I think he’d be someone who would be a very valuable asset to Essendon and the added value of the family history and everything else is just a bonus.

“I think it would be enormous for James Hird and an opportunity for a door to be closed and a new phase of his football life to start.

“It would be enormous for Essendon because they’d be getting a highly-talented person within the club, and it would be great for the AFL as well.”

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Originally published as Essendon urged to consider hiring James Hird to support new coach Ben Rutten in 2021