Essendon Legend Backs Thorough Coaching Process, Hird Welcome But Must Apply
Essendon great Terry Daniher has stated he would welcome a coaching application from club favourite James Hird for the vacant senior coaching role. However, Daniher has a clear message for Hird: he must undergo the same rigorous selection process as any other candidate.
Daniher, a two-time premiership captain for the Bombers, visited the club’s training facility, the Hangar, this week. In an impromptu address to the struggling playing group, he urged them to persevere through their current difficulties.
When asked about the enduring lessons of his late brother, Neale Daniher – a former Essendon captain who bravely battled motor neurone disease – Terry Daniher took a moment to challenge the players. He implored them to “fight on,” drawing inspiration from Neale’s resilience.
The Bombers have endured a dismal year, securing only one win in the past twelve months and currently holding a 1-11 season record following their recent loss to West Coast. This slump comes just days after the sacking of fourth-year coach Brad Scott.
“Fight on boys,” Terry Daniher implored the players. “You’re going through a tough period at the moment. There’s no question about it. You can’t be much lower… you’ve got to face the facts. You’ve got to face them head on, as Nealo would.”
Neale Daniher is set to be remembered at several upcoming events. His legacy will be honoured at the annual “Big Freeze” match between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG next week, as well as at the Essendon versus Carlton game the night prior. His state memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10th.
James Hird recently declared his interest in returning as Essendon’s senior coach during a virtual appearance on Footy Classified. Hird, a regular panelist on the show, stated he is ready to return to the position he held for 85 games between 2011 and 2015, expressing a desire to see the Bombers “be the best club in the AFL again.”
However, Daniher stressed that Hird would be treated no differently than any other applicant. “You’re just like the others,” he said. “I think if you’re running the right process, it’s only fair that James has got to go through it too. If he’s putting his hand up… ‘OK, James, you want to coach? You’re just like the others. Line up and put your best foot forward’. I’d love to have him back, but I also want it [the selection process] done the right way.”
Player Reflections and Club’s Future
Archie Roberts, a promising young player for Essendon, was among a group of players who visited Brad Scott following his dismissal. Scott, the former North Melbourne and Essendon coach, did not have the opportunity to address the playing group directly after the news of his departure was leaked.
“It was great. I’m very glad I did it,” said the 20-year-old Roberts. “It’s something that I’ll be looking back on later in my career. It was great to speak to him, speak to his family, [and] spend some quality time. For me, he’s had the biggest impact on my career. He drafted me as an 18-year-old. He gave me the opportunity to play in the AFL.”
Roberts acknowledged that the past week had been “abnormal” and challenging for preparing for their recent game against the Eagles. “All we sort of do is move forward and back Solly [interim coach Dean Solomon] and the coaches in, and play his way. We’re looking forward to the rest of the 12 weeks of the season, and just moving forward as a group.”
When questioned about his support for Scott’s removal, Roberts deferred, stating, “It [the club’s move] is certainly above my pay grade. I’ve got nothing really to comment on that. Whether I support it – I’ve got really nothing to say on that topic.”
Terry Daniher, a member of the Essendon Team of the Century, was also asked if “tough love” was what the current playing group needed most. He responded, “They’re big boys now. They’ve got to take on the responsibility to get us back up there, [to] get us off the floor. We’ve got a lot of young kids at the club. Sometimes you can lose a little bit, [and] go off track. I look my little moment [today] where I could put my two bob’s worth in… whether it will make a difference, I don’t know. I hope it does. Players today, they should be hard enough on themselves anyway to pick themselves up. We all have down times – that hasn’t changed since the time I played. Even though you’re not winning the ball, you still get across and shepherd, and chase and put a bit of voice pressure on. For God’s sake, bang them when you get the chance, knock them over and slow them down a bit.”
Injury Setback and Coaching Speculation
Adding to the Bombers’ woes, key defender Lewis Hayes re-injured his knee in a VFL match on Sunday. This setback occurred in his first game back after a 12-month lay-off due to an ACL injury. Although he completed the match, Hayes reported soreness on Monday after hyperextending the ligament in the second quarter. Subsequent scans confirmed damage to the ACL.
Matthew Lloyd Denies Involvement in Hird Campaign
Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd has vehemently denied any involvement in a clandestine operation to undermine former coach Brad Scott and promote James Hird’s return to the club. Reports surfaced last week suggesting that a campaign to reinstate Hird, referred to as the “redemption campaign,” gained serious momentum in March of the previous year, reportedly involving a phone call from former Essendon chairman Paul Little to then-chairman David Barham.
Lloyd confirmed on Monday evening that he had contacted football commentator Kane Cornes, who had stated on SEN radio that Lloyd was among the Essendon figures orchestrating Hird’s comeback.
“I don’t know how I got dragged into that at all,” Lloyd stated on Nine’s Footy Classified. “I did text Kane today and let him know that I wasn’t happy with that.”
During discussions on SEN regarding the vacant Essendon coaching position and the political manoeuvring surrounding the applications, reporter Tom Morris and Cornes both identified Lloyd as a key supporter of his former teammate. In response to a question from Adam Simpson about “Team Hird,” Morris commented, “The team behind him? Well, Paul Little is very much part of it. There’s other people around the outskirts – well, Matthew Lloyd.”
Cornes separately remarked, “I read this morning in the [Australian] Financial Review of all places that Paul Little’s push for James Hird is back on. That is absolute rubbish that James Hird had no knowledge that Paul Little was pushing as well as others, like [Matthew] Lloyd and like [Adrian] Dodoro… there were secret coffees going on left, right and centre.”
Lloyd explained that throughout his extensive career in football media, he has frequently been required to discuss the club’s struggles. “You know what, the most tiring thing I’ve done in my media is talk about Essendon’s failings, year after year, time after time,” Lloyd said. “I want the best coach, and I don’t care who it is.”
When specifically asked about being part of a “clandestine cabal,” Lloyd stated, “I’ve never met Paul Little in my life. I’ve never [even] had a drink of coffee in my life. I don’t drink coffee. I’m the least political person – because I’m not interested. I’m not interested in politics. It is categorically wrong. To Tom Morris and to Kane Cornes who put that out there, that’s factually incorrect.”
Lloyd affirmed his desire for Hird, a 253-game player for the club, to be a viable candidate for Essendon, who are currently in last place with a 1-11 record and recently parted ways with fourth-year coach Scott. “I’m not pro-James [Hird], I’m not against James. I just want James to be part of the process,” Lloyd stated. “If they decide he’s not part of the process, so be it because at the end of the day, I want Essendon to pick the best coach. If it’s the next Adam Kingsley or the next Craig McRae – whoever it is – that’s what I want for the club.”
Encouraging Coaches to Apply
Former Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel encouraged experienced and successful coaches to “have the confidence” to pursue the Essendon coaching role, irrespective of Hird being a potential frontrunner. “I might be on a little bit of an island… when I hear coaches back out of it [the process] because they’re afraid to compete,” Bartel commented on Footy Classified. “But if we keep hearing time and time again, ‘James Hird hasn’t been a coach for 10 years. He hasn’t been in the hunt week to week’…”
West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson last week expressed reservations about Essendon’s selection process. Similarly, former Sydney coach John Longmire indicated he was keeping an open mind following Hird’s public declaration of interest. Simpson’s sentiments echoed those of former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, who had previously stated he would not apply for the Essendon job if Hird appeared to be the favoured candidate.
“What are you fearful for?” Bartel questioned on Monday night. “Because your head coach, wherever you appoint your head coach, has got to be the strongest personality in your group. You’ve got to get the whole entire club to believe your philosophy, your direction – on recruiting, list management, development – and if you’ve all these concerns that everyone keeps highlighting, shouldn’t you have the confidence to be able to beat someone [else for the job]?”
