Hird has been offered a contract extension

[Underdog]

So James Hird's coaching career goes so something like this...

2011 - 8th
2012 - 11th
2013 - disqualified
2014 - banned

And this justifies a two year extension? That's without considering all the ethics issues.

Crazy Vossy should be on the phone to the Bombers ASAP!

Anyone claiming that his role as the golden boy plays no role and its not a cult following are deluded.

 

[Roby]

So James Hird's coaching career goes so something like this...

2011 - 8th
2012 - 11th
2013 - disqualified
2014 - banned

And this justifies a two year extension? That's without considering all the ethics issues.

Crazy Vossy should be on the phone to the Bombers ASAP!

Anyone claiming that his role as the golden boy plays no role and its not a cult following are deluded.

Vossy's 2013 season.

February - shaky ground
March - pre-season cup champions
April - dysmal, almost gone
May- improving team
June - beat Geelong, most improved team and coach second half of the year
July - will continue to coach
August - sacked

 

[Moo]

So James Hird's coaching career goes so something like this...

2011 - 8th
2012 - 11th
2013 - disqualified
2014 - banned
.

Just goes to show how much damage Knights did during his tenure

 

[FlowersByIrene]

Is there some sort of disease you get from being in Red & Black that causes delusions?

 

[lones37]

Hird has coached his last game of AFL football.

 

[nineteen eighty]

#standbyhird

Can't wait to see him stride out onto the G, first week 2014 finals.

#waitforASADAinvestigationtobecompletedbeforegettingcocky

 

[Laphroaig]

#standbyhird

Can't wait to see him stride out onto the G, first week 2014 finals.

You wouldn't want to be hanging by your balls waiting for that.

 

[Two Eyes]

Pretty clear Hird held the club over a barrel till he got the coin and job he wanted. It's all about the Hird and Ess had to comply.

Having said all that I very much doubt Hitd will coach again.

 

[Captivating]

Contract extended in term only so they don't take a massive annual hit when they have to pay him out. The cost of the new facilities and legal fees mean Essendon need to make fiscally responsible decisions, and they couldn't afford to pay Hird out in one lump sum.

 

[Blue and Silver]

For me this is absurd.

Assuming that the only fault of Hird was permitting Dank to operate without proper supervision we are still talking about endangering the lives of those he is responsible for. The players were injected with an unidentifiable substance by a person with no medical qualifications, multiple times without any record of what, when or why.

For that failure of duty of care Hird and the rest of the Essendon executive should be required to stand down. The concept that somehow it is ok that they allowed this to happen is insanity. Would you be comfortable if your employer did this?

 

[RobZombie]

3 seasons, 0 finals wins and an extension. Weird!

Leave Brad Scott out of this.

 

[Zeno The Great]

I just love the arrogance that he will stride out first week of the finals and take over.

They have to make it first, if the last 3 years are anything to go by they will be top of the ladder by the half way mark, then the drugs wear off and the crash and burn.

 

[Laphroaig]

Contract extended in term only so they don't take a massive annual hit when they have to pay him out. The cost of the new facilities and legal fees mean Essendon need to make fiscally responsible decisions, and they couldn't afford to pay Hird out in one lump sum.

The fiscally responsible decision would be to tear his contract up. Given that he is unable to carry out his duties as result of his own misconduct, he'd have a hard time fighting it.

 

[Scottland2007]

Can't wait to see Hird lifting the Premiership cup

is he replacing Knights as Gfc vfl coach?

 

[Leather Poisoning]

This is just madness.

Hiring an unqualified celebrity as head coach was their first mistake.
Hiring a mad scientist was the second

Taking the first step to doing it all over again?
******* insane.

 

[Captivating]

It's not Bombers want Hird back.

It's Hird wants Bombers back.

Let's not forget who really runs the club.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

This is just madness.

Hiring an unqualified celebrity as head coach was their first mistake.
Hiring a mad scientist was the second

Taking the first step to doing it all over again?
******* insane.

The unqualified celebrity is also a club legend.

We don't turn our back on them because they make a mistake or two.

 

[Norwegian Blue]

Just goes to show how much damage Knights did during his tenure

It's all Knights' fault according to one particularly deluded Bombres fan.

This is all Matthew Knights fault if he didn't leave our club in shambles Hird and Bomber wouldn't have to try and fix/micro manage every department at the club.

 

[spark12]

For me this is absurd.

Assuming that the only fault of Hird was permitting Dank to operate without proper supervision we are still talking about endangering the lives of those he is responsible for. The players were injected with an unidentifiable substance by a person with no medical qualifications, multiple times without any record of what, when or why.

For that failure of duty of care Hird and the rest of the Essendon executive should be required to stand down. The concept that somehow it is ok that they allowed this to happen is insanity. Would you be comfortable if your employer did this?

Mate the players themselves are all still there , they do not care what they were injected with, they are part of a cult brainwashed to the Max, it is quite astounding really.

 

[madmug]

The unqualified celebrity is also a club legend.

We don't turn our back on them because they make a mistake or two.

'A mistake or two'!!!!

I guess Hitlers invasion or Russia was just a mistake or two as well

 

[Gus Poyet]

Hird has coached his last game of AFL football.

He'll be back.

If Essendon and a lot of its fans have shown anything it's that they have very little integrity.

 

[Gus Poyet]

The unqualified celebrity is also a club legend.

We don't turn our back on them because they make a mistake or two.

So we should get John Elliott back as President? He only made a mistake or two.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

'A mistake or two'!!!!

I guess Hitlers invasion or Russia was just a mistake or two as well

Settle down mate. This thing hurts, but it's hardly going to spell the end of the club.

And I know the collective BF "wisdom" is that this entire thing is totally, completely, absolutely and solely the doing and fault of Hird, but I think the club board can probably judge that better.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

So we should get John Elliott back as President? He only made a mistake or two.

That's Carlton's call.

Why on earth would my opinion matter?

 

[Leather Poisoning]

The unqualified celebrity is also a club legend.

We don't turn our back on them because they make a mistake or two.

This is where the emotion comes in. Making decisions on an emotional basis is a recipe for success, in fact it's already happened once and your club is going back for more - it's a disaster waiting to happen. Again.

If someone completely independent (let's say a high performing sports administrator from the NFL) was asked to come in and turn Essendon into a premiership club - and the first decision they had to make was whether or not to renew the contract of a club legend that had twice been charged with bringing the game into disrepute then I think it would be a very easy decision.

Imagine that conversation:
New CEO: Okay, so we need a new coach
Essendon: no, we've got one, club legend
New CEO: He was suspended right?
Essendon: yeah, but we should bring him back as soon as that suspension is over, he's a club legend
New CEO: Hmmm, what was he suspended for?
Essendon: Bringing the game into disrepute, which is a bullshit charge that doesn't really mean anything except they blame him for bringing a bunch of bad press to the club.
New CEO: So he's a good coach?
Essendon: Yeah pretty good, we went backwards in his first year, but has started each year off with a bang. We tend to finish seasons off poorly though.
New CEO: what about before that?
Essendon: He hadn't coached before.
New CEO: Look guys, I'm trying to find a compelling reason to bring back a guy from suspension that, from my view, has really damaged the club's brand.
Essendon: He's a club legend.
New CEO: that's it? Can't we just make him PR manager or something? What kind of salary was he on?
Essendon: $1.2 million
New CEO: WTF! Seriously? What do other coaches get?
Essendon: about half that, except for the celebrity ones like Malthouse
New CEO: does that guy have any experience?
Essendon: yeah, 3 premierships about 4 runners up across three clubs across a decade of coaching
New CEO: And we're paying our guy, the completely inexperienced guy who was the centre of this scandal, roughly the same amount?
Essendon: yeah, he's a club legend
New CEO: but, he hasn't won any championships?
Essendon: we call them premierships, but no. We did put a premiership coach as his assistant though.
New CEO: WHAT? Why is the qualified guy the assistant and not the one in charge! Let me guess, he's NOT a club legend?
Essendon: No, he is a club legend, but not as big a club legend as Hird.
New CEO: * you guys.

That's all a bit tongue in cheek - but what I'm trying to point out seriously is that Essendon have made some very dumb decisions on the basis of 'club legend'. And they're already doing it again. After a disaster it's best to cut your losses and start fresh.