James Hird
James Albert Hird (born 4 February 1973) is a former professional Australian rules football player and past senior coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
| James Hird | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | James Albert Hird | ||
| Nickname(s) | Hirdy | ||
| Date of birth | 4 February 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Canberra, Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Ainslie (ACTAFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 79, 1990 National Draft | ||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 89 kg (196 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder / half-forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1992–2007 | Essendon | 253 (343) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 1993 | NSW/ACT | 1 (?) | |
| International team honours | |||
| 2000–2004 | Australia | 4 (3) | |
| Coaching career3 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 2011–2013, 2015 | Essendon | 85 (41–43–1) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2007. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2004. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2015. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Hird played as a midfielder and half-forward, but he was often given free rein by then-Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy to play wherever he thought necessary. Hird was a highly decorated footballer, with accolades including the 1996 Brownlow Medal and membership of the Australian Football Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as the 20th greatest player of all time in the AFL-commissioned book The Australian Game of Football.
Hird was appointed as the coach of the Essendon Football Club in September 2010. In August 2013, he was suspended from coaching for 12 months when he was charged by the AFL with conduct prejudicing the game in relation to his role in the Essendon Football Club supplements controversy. He returned to the club following the 2014 season but resigned in August 2015.