Editing James Hird (section)

==Coaching career==
Immediately after Hird retired from playing football, there was much speculation as to whether he would be interested in a coaching role at a club in the AFL, but primarily at Essendon.<ref name="watson-cautionary-tale">{{cite news | url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tim-watson-offers-james-hird-a-cautionary-tale/story-e6frf9ox-1225907024325 | title=Tim Watson offers James Hird a cautionary tale | work=Herald Sun |publisher=Herald and Weekly Times| date=18 August 2010 | access-date=4 September 2014 | author=Sheahan, Mike | author-link=Mike Sheahan}}</ref> After initially dodging questions about his future, Hird stated in August 2010 that "There's something in me, deep in my heart, that says at some point I want to coach Essendon".<ref name="heraldsun-torn">{{cite news | url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/james-hird-torn-over-essendon/story-e6frf9jf-1225906547007 | title=James Hird torn over Essendson | work=Herald Sun | date=18 August 2010 | access-date=10 September 2014 | author=Robinson, Mark | publisher=Herald and Weekly Times}}</ref> These words came as a surprise to many, including former [[2000 AFL Grand Final|premiership teammate]] [[Matthew Lloyd]], who said that Hird had "changed his whole persona in regards to how he's answering his questions... Just in regards to saying, 'I'll coach one day. I want to coach Essendon one day'. Even those type of words, I haven't heard before." These comments by Hird, considered to be Essendon's "favourite son", furthered speculation towards the future of then-Essendon coach [[Matthew Knights]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/is-hird-getting-keener-on-coaching-20100818-129vj.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=Is Hird getting keener on coaching? | first=Will | last=Brodie | date=18 August 2010}}</ref> A rumour emerged following these comments suggesting that Hird was part of an unofficial agreement with the Essendon board to replace Matthew Knights for the [[2011 AFL season|2011 AFL Season]].<ref name="theage.com.au">{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hird-does-uturn-on-coaching-20100819-12s38.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age  | title=Hird does U-turn on coaching | first=Caroline | last=Wilson | date=20 August 2010}}</ref> However, two days after Hird's initial comments, he announced that he had changed his mind due to the intense division and speculation over Matthew Knights' future following Hird's initial comments. Hird stated that he was ruling himself out of coaching Essendon for at least three years.<ref name="theage.com.au"/>

===Essendon===
On 28 September 2010, the rumours were confirmed when Essendon's chief executive officer, Ian Robson, and chairman, David Evans, announced at an official press conference that Hird would be the next senior coach of the Essendon Football Club on a four-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|title=James Hird announced as coach|url=https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/77138/james-hird-announced-as-coach|date=28 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303124240/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/club/James-Hird-announced-as-coach.asp|archive-date=3 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Robinson|first=Mark|title=Bombers legend James Hird unveiled as new Essendon coach|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/i-want-to-be-essendon-coach-says-former-skipper-james-hird/news-story/a360ea2d267534a7b31c7893dc6aa21b|access-date=20 April 2022|work=Herald Sun|publisher=Herald and Weekly Times|date=28 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/dons-unveil-hird-as-coach-20100928-15ujg.html|title=Dons unveil Hird as coach|date=28 September 2010|access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-09-28/hird-installed-as-essendon-coach/2276772|title=Hird installed as Essendon coach|website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=28 September 2010|access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref>

Hird's coaching career began with the Bombers winning against triple preliminary finalists the {{AFL WB}} in the first round. Wins against {{AFL Stk}}, the {{AFL GC}} (by a record margin of 139 points), {{AFL WC}} and {{AFL BL}} in the first eight rounds saw the Bombers in the top four by round eight, but a draw against {{AFL Car}}, losses to {{AFL Syd}} and {{AFL Col}} and a five-game losing streak halfway through the season saw Essendon drop to tenth on the ladder after Round 14.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/seas/2011.html#14|title=2011 Season Scores and Results}}</ref> Hird's team then won by four points against the previously undefeated {{AFL Gee}} in Round 15, whom assistant coach [[Mark Thompson (footballer)|Mark Thompson]] was coaching against for the first time since his exit from the club.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/essendon-take-on-geelong-in-round-15-of-the-afl-at-etihad-stadium/story-e6frf3e3-1226086180752|title=Essendon Bombers produce the upset of the year, downing Geelong Cats at Etihad Stadium|date=2 July 2011}}</ref> Prior to that match, Essendon had one of the worst records among current AFL clubs against Geelong in recent times, having only beaten the club once since 2003. Hird coached Essendon to the 2011 finals, where they lost against rivals {{AFL Car}} in an elimination final at the MCG.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/carlton-thump-outclassed-essendon-in-afl-elimination-final-at-the-mcg-blues-face-west-coast-next/story-e6frf3e3-1226134200638|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141021130112/http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/carlton-thump-outclassed-essendon-in-afl-elimination-final-at-the-mcg-blues-face-west-coast-next/story-e6frf3e3-1226134200638|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 October 2014|title=Carlton thump outclassed Essendon in AFL elimination final at the MCG; Blues face West Coast next|first=Greg|last=Buckle|agency=Australian Associated Press|date=11 September 2011}}</ref>

At the start of the 2012 season, Essendon won eight of their first nine games (the only loss being by one point to Collingwood on ANZAC Day), at which point Essendon were in first position on the league ladder. The club then won 11 of their first 14 games but this was followed by seven consecutive losses until the end of the season. The club ended 2012 in 11th place. A spate of soft-tissue injuries accompanied the decline, as did noticeable fatigue in other players, leading to criticism of the club's fitness and conditioning coach [[Dean Robinson]] and, indirectly, Hird and his assistant Thompson for having overseen Robinson's program.<ref>{{cite news|last=Robinson|first=Mark|title=The Hird Locker|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-360s-mark-robinson-explores-the-reasons-behind-essendons-late-season-implosion/story-e6frf33l-1226457130419|access-date=11 April 2013|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=24 August 2012}}</ref>

The 2013 season was initially a good one for Hird and the football club, during which the team was second on the AFL ladder with a 13–3 win–loss record after 17 rounds. However, internal pressure on the club finally took its toll on the players and coach when the AFL banned Essendon from participating in the 2013 finals series. The club on-field performances fell away and lost five of their last six games. In August 2013, he was suspended from coaching for 12 months when he was charged by the AFL with conduct prejudicing the game in relation to his role in the [[Essendon Football Club supplements controversy]].<ref name="ABC News"/>

Banned from coaching in 2014, Hird spent several months living in [[France]] attending an exclusive business school, [[INSEAD]], near [[Paris]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/exiled-essendon-coach-james-hird-set-to-embark-on-fourmonth-family-holiday-to-france/story-fni5f6kv-1226852943540|title=Crepes and pomme frites for Hirds|work=Herald Sun|access-date=6 January 2017}}</ref> He returned to the club following the 2014 season. Shortly after returning from his suspension, on 2 October 2014, it was reported that Hird was to be sacked by Essendon due to his determination to lodge an appeal against the Federal Court decision handed down the previous month when the club had chosen not to.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/james-hird-will-be-removed-as-essendon-coach-in-coming-days-20141002-10p3bn.html|title=James Hird will be removed as Essendon coach in coming days|date=2 October 2014|first=Caroline|last=Wilson}}</ref>

On 18 August 2015, following a 112-point loss to {{AFL Ade}} in Round 20, 2015—and a dismal season overall for the Essendon Football Club, by which time they had a 5–14 win–loss record and were fifteenth on the AFL ladder—Hird resigned as senior coach.<ref name="Hird resigns"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-18/james-hird-resigns-as-essendon-coach-as-board-loses-patience/6705920#:~:text=James%20Hird%20has%20resigned%20as,appeared%20at%20the%20press%20conference.|title=James Hird resigns as coach of Essendon Bombers as board loses patience amid dismal AFL results|website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=18 August 2015|access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/essendon/james-hird-set-to-quit-as-essendon-coach/news-story/fa04db72fceb45a743789936237c9898|title=James Hird gone as Essendon coach, 925 days after doping scandal broke|date=18 August 2015|access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/57463/end-of-the-road-for-hird-dons-coach-resigns|title=End of the road for Hird: Dons coach resigns|date=18 August 2015|access-date=20 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/aug/18/james-hird-to-leave-essendon-football-club-report|title=James Hird resigns as coach of Essendon Football Club|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=18 August 2015|access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref>

=== Greater Western Sydney ===
On 17 May 2022, it was announced that Hird would be joining the coaching staff at {{AFL GWS}} as part-time assistant coach for the rest of the 2022 season under GWS caretaker senior coach and his former teammate [[Mark McVeigh]], who replaced [[Leon Cameron]] after he resigned as the club's senior coach midway through the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/763210/dons-party-james-hird-dean-solomon-join-giants-coaching-staff|title=Dons party: Hird, Solomon join Giants coaching staff|date=17 May 2022|access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/greater-western-sydney-giants/afl-news-2022-james-hird-gws-giants-assistant-coach-dean-solomon-mark-mcveigh-interim-who-will-be-their-next-coach/news-story/60be6a09cbe89f4e57afe748c417977d|title=James Hird gets first AFL coaching role since drugs saga as Giants revamp staff after Cameron exit|date=17 May 2022|access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/afl/story/_/id/33931222/james-hird-dean-solomon-help-gws-giants-afl-coach|title=Hird, Solomon help out GWS' AFL coach|date=17 May 2022|access-date=17 May 2022}}</ref> On 2 February 2023, it was announced that Hird left GWS Giants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/james-hird-has-quietly-left-gws-giants-coaching-return-in-doubt/news-story/fbb00c0eff2726d7aba8d9fb42ed8220|title=James Hird has quietly left GWS Giants, coaching return in doubt|date=2 February 2023|access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref>

=== Port Melbourne director of coaching (VFL) ===
Hird is currently Director of Coaching at the [[Port Melbourne Football Club]] in the [[Victorian Football League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/james-hird-joins-port-melbourne-as-director-of-coaching-after-turning-down-senior-role/news-story/d23d8cad55232c0f18be8d4ffcef60c3 | title=James Hird joins Port Melbourne as director of coaching after turning down senior role |publisher=Herald Sun| access-date=28 October 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240819084156/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/james-hird-joins-port-melbourne-as-director-of-coaching-after-turning-down-senior-role/news-story/d23d8cad55232c0f18be8d4ffcef60c3?amp&nk=8f551d4777c2a70605d3af49d434e8db-1724056936#selection-763.0-763.86|archive-date=19 August 2024}}</ref>