Coach James Hird - is it time to give him a second chance at coaching an AFL club? Gil says yes!

Should James Hird be given a second chance at coaching an AFL club?


  • Total voters
    984

matthew_s

Premiership Player
Aug 19, 2013
3,186
6,017
AFL Club
West Coast
I think it would be pretty simple for clubs.
I think the negative outweighs the positives in bringing Hird back into club land.
The media attention he would bring on that club would be too much unfortunately.

Exactly. You saw the negative reaction when the Dockers floated hiring him as an assistant or whatever.

There is just no upside...he wasn't some brilliant savant...there's plenty of people who can do exactly what he'd do the same or better without the negatives.
 

hk89

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 12, 2009
8,503
10,459
Melbourne
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Do you think Hird should get a second chance?

I do. He only half completely ****ed Essendon last time. While the psychological impact lingers on in the current playing group, they are still lurching along in a zombie like state. I think he deserves a chance to come back and finish them off for good.
 

TheEnsign

Club Legend
Zombie Lover A Star Wars Fan
Jun 24, 2014
2,303
5,063
AFL Club
St Kilda
Let him take over Melbourne if they overreact and fire Goody in the first half of next year.

I really rate their young core; need someone to get in there and screw things up to take them out of flag contention ;)
 
Apr 13, 2015
4,637
12,301
AFL Club
Melbourne
Let him take over Melbourne if they overreact and fire Goody in the first half of next year.

I really rate their young core; need someone to get in there and screw things up to take them out of flag contention ;)
Already have Goodwin for that, mate.
 
Sep 2, 2008
63,165
37,760
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
I was hoping North would approach him after sacking Scott.
Turns out North didn't even approach anyone and their man was in the box the whole time.

"We will go through an exhaustive process" was just lip service.

If I were in charge at North I would have interviewed a dozen coaches and if Shaw by the end of it was the best out of the lot you then hire him.
 
Jul 25, 2019
53,234
78,465
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Carlton
Other Teams
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The list was ahead of the development curve under Knighta.
The groundwork had been laid by the time Hird knifed him.
Hird ruined that groundwork.

However, when the likes of Sheedy and Robbo are saying give Hird a second chance, and Hird himself says never say never when asked about coaching again.....

That is revisionist history 101 at its finest. I don't agree with the way Essendon went about Knights sacking, but he simply was not getting the results a club of Essendon's stature required..

Moving on club legends in Lucas and Lloyd a year or two before they wanted to, put most of the players and fans offside, Knights was never going to come back from that
 
Jul 13, 2015
36,297
40,456
AFL Club
Hawthorn
That is revisionist history 101 at its finest. I don't agree with the way Essendon went about Knights sacking, but he simply was not getting the results a club of Essendon's stature required..

Moving on club legends in Lucas and Lloyd a year or two before they wanted to, put most of the players and fans offside, Knights was never going to come back from that

He had them playing finals.
 
Jun 19, 2011
17,840
30,088
MCG
AFL Club
Hawthorn
That is revisionist history 101 at its finest. I don't agree with the way Essendon went about Knights sacking, but he simply was not getting the results a club of Essendon's stature required..

Moving on club legends in Lucas and Lloyd a year or two before they wanted to, put most of the players and fans offside, Knights was never going to come back from that
Lol, a club of Essendons stature. They are a pissant club in the modern era. Results wise.
Just a formerly successful VFL club and pretty much only due to Sheeds and some flags from the prehistoric era.
 
Aug 4, 2003
22,984
23,444
WA
AFL Club
West Coast
This thread is still going?

I already said this a million pages back - he already had a second chance - they let him come back and take over after his ban.

Remember when Bomber Thompson was stand-in coach and was pretty certain he was going to get the gig full time and then the club lost their mind, turfed him out and brought Hird back?

That was Hird’s second chance, his shot at redemption etc.

Didn’t work out. For anyone really.
 
Jun 11, 2007
34,086
29,320
Victoria
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Essendon
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Bayern, Milan, Boston Celtics
He had them playing finals.
"playing" finals? not really
Our 4 last coaches have all had the midas touch for a season, then we've turned to garbage afterwards....admittedly Bomber didn't get an afterwards...but that's probably for the best.

Let's not sugar coat Knights' tenure.
We played soft, front running, unaccountable footy. At the very least, Hird addressed this. Impatience and poor decision making in regards to Dank and the supplements program was his downfall. So we'll never really know if he had what it took to be a good coach.

Started well, but that effect seems to be normal at Essendon
Had some good assistants in Bomber, McCartney, Goodwin, Egan.

Thought the groundwork was there in 2011. then 2012 is what it is and ****ed the whole thing up really.
Had he held out and not gone down the path of fast tracking physical development, players likely stay, no draft sanctions. no distractions.
We were on track for 5th in 2013.
 
Jul 13, 2015
36,297
40,456
AFL Club
Hawthorn
"playing" finals? not really
Our 4 last coaches have all had the midas touch for a season, then we've turned to garbage afterwards....admittedly Bomber didn't get an afterwards...but that's probably for the best.

Let's not sugar coat Knights' tenure.
We played soft, front running, unaccountable footy. At the very least, Hird addressed this. Impatience and poor decision making in regards to Dank and the supplements program was his downfall. So we'll never really know if he had what it took to be a good coach.

Started well, but that effect seems to be normal at Essendon
Had some good assistants in Bomber, McCartney, Goodwin, Egan.

Thought the groundwork was there in 2011. then 2012 is what it is and f’ed the whole thing up really.
Had he held out and not gone down the path of fast tracking physical development, players likely stay, no draft sanctions. no distractions.
We were on track for 5th in 2013.

Or without the PEDs you would have been on track for 12th.
 
LOL, cause they didnt talk to Hird.

You are delusional.

That we didn't talk to Hirdy proves just how sound the process was.

Remind me of the EXHAUSTIVE PROCESS that Essendon went through to hire Hird? Or Thompspn? Or Worsfold? Or even Sheedy?
 
Lol, a club of Essendons stature. They are a pissant club in the modern era. Results wise.
Just a formerly successful VFL club and pretty much only due to Sheeds and some flags from the prehistoric era.

And the Sheeds 93/00 flags both tainted by serious salary cap cheating.
 
"playing" finals? not really
Our 4 last coaches have all had the midas touch for a season, then we've turned to garbage afterwards....admittedly Bomber didn't get an afterwards...but that's probably for the best.

Let's not sugar coat Knights' tenure.
We played soft, front running, unaccountable footy. At the very least, Hird addressed this. Impatience and poor decision making in regards to Dank and the supplements program was his downfall. So we'll never really know if he had what it took to be a good coach.

Started well, but that effect seems to be normal at Essendon
Had some good assistants in Bomber, McCartney, Goodwin, Egan.

Thought the groundwork was there in 2011. then 2012 is what it is and f’ed the whole thing up really.
Had he held out and not gone down the path of fast tracking physical development, players likely stay, no draft sanctions. no distractions.
We were on track for 5th in 2013.

Aka his team-wide doping program developed in close coooperation with Stephen Dank.
 
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