James Hird’s Potential Return to AFL Coaching
James Hird, the former Essendon coach, is reportedly considering a return to senior AFL coaching. However, according to Matthew Lloyd, a former teammate and one of Essendon’s greatest players, Hird needs to first re-engage with clubland before he can realistically aim for a top coaching position.
Hird was in charge of the Bombers from 2011 to 2015, but stepped down following the fallout from the club’s supplements scandal. After a period away from the game, he made a return in 2022, taking on a part-time assistant coaching role with GWS. However, this stint lasted only one season.
Since then, Hird has taken up a position with Port Melbourne in the VFL, where he serves as the director of coaching. When asked by former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire about his ideal job, Hird clearly stated that he would choose senior AFL coaching.
“You’d absolutely be a senior AFL coach, you would,” Hird told Nine’s Footy Classified on Tuesday. “If you love coaching, the passion for coaching and putting a team together is the highest thrill you can get outside of playing.”
Despite this enthusiasm, Lloyd believes Hird’s path back to the top might require some steps back. He suggests that Hird should return to the AFL coaching system and serve as an assistant coach to regain his footing.
“I’d like to see James go back into the AFL coaching system,” Lloyd told 3AW on Friday night. “I think then he would get a (senior coaching) job within a couple of years, in my opinion. But I’m not sure being out there (in the VFL) at Port Melbourne, whether that’s holding him back.”
Lloyd draws a parallel between Hird’s potential move and the career paths of other successful coaches. For example, Michael Voss worked under Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide before eventually securing the Carlton job. Similarly, Nathan Buckley took a role at Geelong after a stint in the media before eyeing the Tassie Devils coaching position.
Voss’s journey highlights the value of gaining experience at the club level before moving up. He joined Port Adelaide in 2015 after being sacked as coach of Brisbane, working as an assistant under Hinkley until he was appointed as the head coach at Carlton at the end of 2021.
For Hird, returning to the AFL coaching ranks could provide the necessary foundation to rebuild his reputation and eventually reach the top. While his time in the VFL has allowed him to stay involved in football, Lloyd believes that a more direct route through the AFL system might offer greater opportunities for growth.
As the AFL landscape continues to evolve, the question remains: will Hird take the step back to move forward? With the right support and experience, he may yet find himself back in the spotlight as a senior coach.
