Essendon club legend James Hird is officially in the mix to return to the Bombers as coach.
The Dons great was interviewed by the selection committee on Wednesday as the club ramps up its search.
WATCH IN THE VIDEO ABOVE: Exclusive details on Hird’s bid for the Essendon job
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7NEWS reporter Tom Browne revealed Hird and other applicants Adem Yze and Brendon Lade, who also interviewed on Wednesday, have signed non-disclosure agreements meaning they can’t speak about the process.
But Browne believes Hird was very pleased with how his interview went.
Senior St Kilda assistant Lade was a surprise addition to the coaching shortlist, as revealed by 7NEWS reporter Mitch Cleary on Tuesday, while Melbourne assistant Yze remains the frontrunner. Don Pyke and Dean Solomon are also in the mix.
The Bombers have been hunting a new coach since sacking Ben Rutten after the club’s final game of the season following a failed pursuit of legendary coach Alastair Clarkson, who chose to join North Melbourne.
An emotional James Hird faces the media in 2015 following his resignation as Essendon’s coach. Credit: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
Hird, who was first appointed Essendon coach in 2010, hasn’t held a senior coaching position since he resigned from his post at the Bombers in during the 2015 season. His resignation came after he served a 12-month ban for his part in the club’s drugs saga.
He recently broke his silence on his ill-fated stint as the club’s senior coach, and claimed his greatest weakness was trusting people.
“We had two people there who were bad people. I don’t think they cheated, but that’s debatable,” Hird told the Howie Games podcast.
“The thing that is the most upsetting is there’s 34 players who have done absolutely nothing wrong and their families and them have suffered hugely for it, and so have the Essendon supporters.”
He spent five weeks in a Melbourne psychiatric facility in 2017 but has since rebuilt his life.
James Hird looks on during the round 13 match between North Melbourne and the GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium on June 12. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“It was horrible, it was absolutely horrible (waking up in hospital), but it was a necessary part of the journey in terms of where I am now,” Hird said.
“My brain was just going at 100 miles an hour, and it wouldn’t stop spinning.
“I’m not proud of what happened but I am proud of the resilience that I have to actually get to where I am.”
Hird has helped out at GWS this year, first as a leadership advisor, then as an assistant coach to former Essendon teammate Mark McVeigh after the Giants’ long-time mentor Leon Cameron stood down in May.
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Source by 7news.com.au
