Essendon are set to meet with club legend James Hird later this week as new coach Mark McVeigh begins the massive task of rebuilding the Bombers’ football department.
McVeigh has officially moved to Melbourne and started at the club on Monday. He is now searching for several assistant coaches, two football bosses and a senior development coach.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Essendon target James Hird for football department role
Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson said the plan was for CEO Tim Roberts, McVeigh and former CEO Craig Vozzo (who is still consulting to the club) to only target people from top-four clubs who have worked with the best.
And in a significant development, the club will meet with Hird towards the end of this week to discuss a potential role at Essendon.
However, immediately after Wilson revealed that a meeting between Hird and Essendon was imminent, Hird said he was “genuinely upset” that there had been a leak to the media.
“I’m just disappointed that a private potential meeting gets out in a public place even before I have a chance to think about what I want to do,” Hird said on Footy Classified.
Hird said he was now unsure if he’ll even attend the meeting.
“I’ll go away and have a think about it,” he said.
If it does take place, the meeting will mark a dramatic shift from Hird’s position in July, when he made it clear he was only interested in the senior coaching role.
Wilson said McVeigh had “basically” former Bomber Brent Stanton locked in, and but was approaching Sydney assistant and premiership player Amon Buchanan.
“They just want coaches and assistant coaches and development coaches who have worked with the best, which means everyone they’re talking to and targeting, we just can’t really know exactly who they are now,” Wilson said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“Although we do know about Buchanan.”
Wilson said Essendon had gone back to Hird after Hird “had not taken his call” from president (and former teammate) Andrew Welsh.
“I’m told they now have spoken. Mark McVeigh, we know, is close with James Hird. They also have spoken and that there will be a meeting towards the end of this week to talk to James Hird about a role at the club,” Wilson said.
“(But) I don’t think it is the only club who is talking to James Hird. I gather at least one other club is also interested in talking to him.
“So Essendon have got the chequebook out, not only for footballers, but for coaches and assistant coaches and, notably, senior development people.”
Pressed on what sort of role Hird would be offered, Wilson said it was “baby steps at this point”.
AFL great Luke Hodge said he believed Essendon people just wanted to see Hird back at the club “in any area”.
“So if they can’t get him as an assistant coach, get him in the door somehow, because the knowledge, the connection he’s got to the football club and the people there, you take it,” Hodge said.
Kane Cornes believed it would be best for Hird to look at other opportunities at other clubs.
“That’s what I think I would be doing. So meet with the Bombers, absolutely no worries. Find out what they’ve got to say, what sort of role they would like for him to have. But I think it would be great if he went to another club, experienced that, and then tried to get back as a senior coach,” Cornes said.
Essendon’s interim coach Dean Solomon has also been offered a senior role, but he is considering his options.
“He will make a call over the coming days,” Wilson said.
“It will not be because he’s upset he didn’t get the senior job, it’s because he’s considering whether he wants to move back to northern New South Wales with his family.”
