Editing James Hird (section)

====Early 2000s====
In 2000, both Hird and the Essendon Football Club experienced the [[2000 AFL season|most dominant season]] in AFL football to date. Injury-free, he received numerous honours, including selection in the [[All-Australian team]] and the [[Norm Smith Medal]] as best on ground in the [[2000 AFL Grand Final|AFL Grand Final]]. The Essendon team also won the [[2000 Ansett Australia Cup|Ansett Cup pre-season competition]] as well as the [[2000 AFL Grand Final|regular season premiership]]. The team only lost one game—against the [[Western Bulldogs]]—in the entire calendar year.<ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>

The year [[2002 AFL season|2002]] then saw Hird's worst injury, a horrific facial injury sustained in a match against {{AFL Fre}} when he collided with teammate [[Mark McVeigh]]'s knee, fracturing several bones; Hird was in hospital for a week and missed several weeks of the season.<ref name="facial-update">{{cite news | url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/05/1019441459678.html | title=Hird has surgery on facial injuries | work=The Sydney Morning Herald  | date=2 May 2002 | access-date=22 March 2009}}</ref><ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>

In [[2003 AFL season|2003]], despite again missing many games through various injuries (eight games in total), Hird tied with [[Scott Lucas (footballer)|Scott Lucas]] for the best-and-fairest award. He also narrowly missed out on a second Brownlow Medal, finishing three votes shy of joint winners [[Mark Ricciuto]], [[Nathan Buckley]] and [[Adam Goodes]]. He gained a place in the 2003 [[All-Australian]] team, the fifth and final time in his career.<ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>

One of Hird's more memorable performances was in his Round 3 game against [[West Coast Eagles|West Coast]] in 2004. Up until three-quarter time, Hird had 19 disposals and one goal; in the final quarter, however, he managed 15 disposals and two decisive goals.<ref>{{Cite web|title=James Hird's Winning Goal vs West Coast 2004|publisher=Network Ten| via=YouTube|date=28 October 2006|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUhhHA-AJvc|access-date=16 March 2009}}</ref> Despite the incredible effort, and to the consternation of fans, Hird did not receive any [[Brownlow Medal]] votes from the umpires for his 34 disposals and clutch goals, which was perceived by some as retribution for his comments earlier in the week against umpire [[Scott McLaren]], for which he was fined $20,000.<ref name='judd-brownlow'>{{Cite news|title=Judd claims West Coast's first Brownlow|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 September 2004|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/21/1095651257787.html|access-date=16 March 2009}}</ref> Hird's winning goal was the focus of a popular instalment of the Toyota Memorable Moments advertising campaign,<ref name='toyota-commercial'>{{Cite web|title=James Hird Toyota Commercial|via=YouTube|date=16 January 2007|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUhhHA-AJvc|access-date=16 March 2009}}</ref> and the hug is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting ''the Game That Made Australia'', commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.<ref name="150years-painting">{{cite web|url=http://www.150years.com.au/150Moments/150MomentsArticle/tabid/11382/Default.aspx?newsId=55972# |title=The Game That Made Australia painting |work=150years.com.au |publisher=Australian Football League |access-date=4 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419120046/http://www.150years.com.au/150Moments/150MomentsArticle/tabid/11382/Default.aspx?newsId=55972 |archive-date=19 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>

On 27 September 2005, Hird handed the captaincy to [[Matthew Lloyd]] following the side's [[2005 AFL season|2005 season]] in which it missed the finals for the first time since 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-09-27/lloyd-to-lead-bombers/2112816 |title=Lloyd to lead Bombers |date=27 September 2005 |work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=4 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>

After Lloyd sustained a season-ending hamstring injury in Round 3, 2006, Hird served briefly as acting captain until young ruckman [[David Hille]] was named acting captain for the remainder of the 2006 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Hille-appointed-Essendon-AFL-captain/2006/05/03/1146335789695.html |title=Hille appointed Essendon AFL captain |date=3 May 2006 |website=The Age  |access-date=4 September 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>

Hird continued to be an outstanding performer in his utility role when fit, but age was forcing him to miss games through injury with increasing frequency. He suffered broken ribs and a calf strain during his 200th and 250th games, respectively.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hand|first=Guy|date=11 July 2004|title=Hird in hospital as Lloyd boots nine|work=The Sun-Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/10/1089000403996.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/injuries-reports-spoil-dons-pairs-party/story-e6frf9l6-1111113906976|title=Injuries, reports spoil Dons pair's party|first=Rebecca|last=Williams|work=Herald Sun|date=7 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="JAMES HIRD"/><ref name="essendonfc.com.au"/>