James Hird remains non-committal about returning to a senior coaching role, but AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson believes the Essendon legend “deep down … would like to coach” again.
It comes as St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt said his former coach Ross Lyon would likely be prepared to go through a selection process at Essendon if approached about the club’s vacant position.
The Bombers are on the hunt for a new senior coach after missing out on Alastair Clarkson then parting ways with Ben Rutten after a calamitous week in the lead up to their final home and away game of the year. They also need to find a new chief executive after Xavier Campbell’s resignation, while there’s several board seats to fill.
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Among the names linked to the coaching role is Hird, who returned to the footy industry officially this year via the Giants, initially via a part-time leadership role before joining interim coach Mark McVeigh in the coaches’ box from May.
It was the first time Hird had linked up with an AFL club following his ignominious departure from the Bombers in 2015 in the middle of the infamous supplements saga.
Robinson said he interviewed Hird last week at a private function as part of the club’s 150-year anniversary, which was attended by several heavy-hitters.
“The first question (to Hird) was: ‘How are you?’ The second one was: ‘Are you going to be coaching Essendon next year?’ And he’s non-committal … He didn’t budge, he’s still considering it. (But) I think deep down he would like to coach,” Robinson told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“What happened at Essendon – the supplements saga, the court cases, what happened to him as a person – forced him into a position where he nearly killed himself.
“So this game, does he want to go back in? Does his family want him to go back into this game and face the media scrutiny that will come because he’s James Hird? Because it’s already started.
“Does he step back into that pressure? I don’t know the answer to that … It’s sort of treading water at the moment.”
Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph added on Fox Footy’s On The Couch that people watching walked away from the interview sensing there was “wriggle room” Hird would be convinced to apply for the role.
Ralph reported the club would likely first contact experienced yet contracted AFL coaches, such as Port Adelaide’s Ken Hinkley and West Coast’s Adam Simpson, to garner their interest levels. If they show little, the club would then formulate a shortlist.
Along with gun assistant coach Adem Yze, who just missed out on the Giants role that was won by Adam Kingsley last week, ex-St Kilda and Fremantle coach Lyon has also been heavily linked to the vacant role.
Lyon was right in the mix for the vacant Carlton gig 12 months ago, but pulled out when he was told he’d have to go through a formal interview process to land the role.
“I think Ross Lyon would have to swallow his pride … He might be on a shortlist, but he’d have to go through multiple interviews,” Ralph said.
Asked if Lyon was “in or out” for the Bombers coaching job, Riewoldt, who played under Lyon for five seasons, told On The Couch: “At this stage I’d probably lean towards out, but not definitively – because every time I listen to Ross speak, I still hear a coach. I still think there’s a coach locked away within his being.
“I think Ross would absolutely be prepared to go through a process … I think the trouble last time with the Carlton situation was it went from a headhunting situation to a process overnight. As he said, if the conversation shifted and he understood the process, well then he could make an educated decision. But I don’t think anyone’s spoken to him yet.”
The Bombers late last week unveiled their coaching sub-committee, which includes current football boss Josh Mahoney, four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis and Carlton legend Robert Walls. They will meet for the first time this week.
Concurrently, an external review of the club has begun, with all positions to be assessed.
Robinson said Mahoney could be caught in an awkward position.
“I find it really intriguing … Josh Mahoney and Xavier Campbell put together an internal review. The internal review results have just blown up the club because there was a referendum on the board about Ben Rutten … and now they’re having an external review – and that external review is going to include a review of Josh Mahoney’s position,” Robinson said on AFL 360.
“It’s quite possible that Josh Mahoney may appoint the next coach and then not be at the club next year because the external review might find ‘I’m sorry Josh but you’re not the right person for the job’. I find that absolutely staggering that the Essendon Football Club can do that.
“But they’ve got no one else. Who’s left at the club in senior management to sit on the selection panel? I find that curious.”
New Bombers president David Barham suggested last week the a “more experienced coach may be able to get more out of this list” at Essendon.
Lewis on Monday said it was “important to come in with a really open mind in terms” in his position.
“I think experience is great and it‘s probably a club that needs experience – whether it’s a senior coach or an AFL assistant coach. But me personally, I’ll be as open-minded as I possibly can in terms of the applicants that apply and also who we may select in the end,” he told reporters.
