rama_9
2 Oct 2003, 16:16
From AFL.com.au
An emotional Essendon skipper James Hird has urged the club’s remaining uncontracted players to stick with the club.
Hird was awarded his fourth Crichton Medal – Essendon’s best-and-fairest award – on Wednesday night and used his speech to encourage both the club and players to agree to terms.
“I know there are a lot of players going through contract negotiations (at the moment). I know the club’s in positions that they don’t want to be in. I know the players are in positions they don’t want to be in,” Hird said.
“We didn’t know where we were going at the end of 2002 but at the end of 2003 we know where we’re going.
“I think we’ve got a side that can go somewhere and I think if we can keep the players we’ve got and the club can find the money or the players can find it in their hearts to take what the club’s offering … I think this club will see itself very successful in the next year or two and certainly the players we’ve got can do it.”
Essendon started the 2003 season after off-loading four premiership players - Justin Blumfield, Blake Caracella, Gary Moorcroft and Chris Heffernan – due to salary cap constraints.
Currently, veteran Joe Misiti, defender Danny Jacobs, Dean Rioli, David Hille Dean Solomon and Mark McVeigh are uncontracted.
Hird polled 301 votes to share the medal with teammate Scott Lucas. His other three were a hat-trick of victories in 1994-95-96.
“I really find it hard to talk about the football club because of what it means to me,” he said.
“The Essendon football club means a hell of a lot to me and to be up here today and to win this award does mean a lot.”
The 30-year old also paid tribute to retiring chairman Graeme McMahon, who had described Hird as the best player in the AFL.
McMahon said: “It’s been one of the privileges of my time at Essendon to have been there at a time when the club had the services of James Hird.”
Hird said McMahon deserved tremendous credit for turning the club’s fortunes around from the moment he took charge in 1998, a year that saw the club under fire for salary cap breaches and speculation about the future of coach Kevin Sheedy.
“Graeme grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck and said ‘we’re going in this direction and we’re going to win a premiership’.”
“Unfortunately for him, or fortunately we only won one when perhaps we should have won more but it is all credit to Graeme.”
“I think the club has gone further and further under his leadership and the next guy that steps in Graeme’s shoes had got a huge job to fill.”
An emotional Essendon skipper James Hird has urged the club’s remaining uncontracted players to stick with the club.
Hird was awarded his fourth Crichton Medal – Essendon’s best-and-fairest award – on Wednesday night and used his speech to encourage both the club and players to agree to terms.
“I know there are a lot of players going through contract negotiations (at the moment). I know the club’s in positions that they don’t want to be in. I know the players are in positions they don’t want to be in,” Hird said.
“We didn’t know where we were going at the end of 2002 but at the end of 2003 we know where we’re going.
“I think we’ve got a side that can go somewhere and I think if we can keep the players we’ve got and the club can find the money or the players can find it in their hearts to take what the club’s offering … I think this club will see itself very successful in the next year or two and certainly the players we’ve got can do it.”
Essendon started the 2003 season after off-loading four premiership players - Justin Blumfield, Blake Caracella, Gary Moorcroft and Chris Heffernan – due to salary cap constraints.
Currently, veteran Joe Misiti, defender Danny Jacobs, Dean Rioli, David Hille Dean Solomon and Mark McVeigh are uncontracted.
Hird polled 301 votes to share the medal with teammate Scott Lucas. His other three were a hat-trick of victories in 1994-95-96.
“I really find it hard to talk about the football club because of what it means to me,” he said.
“The Essendon football club means a hell of a lot to me and to be up here today and to win this award does mean a lot.”
The 30-year old also paid tribute to retiring chairman Graeme McMahon, who had described Hird as the best player in the AFL.
McMahon said: “It’s been one of the privileges of my time at Essendon to have been there at a time when the club had the services of James Hird.”
Hird said McMahon deserved tremendous credit for turning the club’s fortunes around from the moment he took charge in 1998, a year that saw the club under fire for salary cap breaches and speculation about the future of coach Kevin Sheedy.
“Graeme grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck and said ‘we’re going in this direction and we’re going to win a premiership’.”
“Unfortunately for him, or fortunately we only won one when perhaps we should have won more but it is all credit to Graeme.”
“I think the club has gone further and further under his leadership and the next guy that steps in Graeme’s shoes had got a huge job to fill.”