James Hird — January 2017 onwards

DAMIEN Hardwick has urged the football world to “wrap its arms around” James Hird after the Essendon great was asked by the AFL to present this year’s Norm Smith Medal.

It is understood the League is yet to hear from the Bombers’ great, who won the medal in 2000 but has slipped out of the public eye in the fallout of the club’s disastrous supplements saga.

Hird told Newscorp from Europe yesterday he would be delighted to present the coveted award.

Hardwick, who is a close friend of Hird and played with him in the Bombers’ 2000 premiership triumph, said it was fantastic the 44-year-old had been welcomed back to the game.

“It’s great. I think footy is a pretty forgiving game, and James is one of the all-time great players, great leader and a great friend of mine,” the Richmond coach said on Friday.

"From my point of view, wrap your arms around him and bring him back in.

"Once again, we’ve got to remember that everyone has an error in life, so we’ve just got to make sure we continue to wrap our arms around people and get them back involved in the game.

“I think that’s the one thing AFL footy is great for – bringing people together.”

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Dimma said that?

Well done.

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That athletics guy is a very bitter/twisted soul who wants Hird to suffer for the rest of his life #dickh_ead

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Convenient leak timing, must have taken the HS reporter a while to find him in Europe. Liz Lunkin would be screwed working in any other industry, her only move is to use Hird as a distraction.

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Gil is such a hypocrite. Pleads for privacy to be respected for the families of Leathlean and Simkiss, when the AFL has manufactured outrage against Hird and is still doing it with the latest stunt.
The AFL is the cause of the distress to Hird

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I hope they camp outside their houses till we get the truth. Hopefully it’s those leaches from women’s weekly etc too.

I like all of this talk of “forgiveness” and If James is ready to forgive then I support him 100%.

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Reckon the somebody at the AFL buggered up the release of the Hird announcement; that was supposed to go out after the ‘resignations’ today.

Liz is getting out the crucifix.

The two have either admitted to criminal act, and therefore, have been fired, should be referred to the police, and the victims identity kept private, or…this is a ‘company policy’ issue only, there is no need to keep anything quiet, and women are not mindless objects that ‘have affairs’ without thought or reason and should be named along with the other two.

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I can’t help but read things things like a @RockyIV creation.

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Still trying to work out exactly what James actually did? Hardwick said Hird made mistakes?
The only thing he is guilty of is trusting the wrong people.

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The AFL media have finally summarised the AFL’s entire case against Hird in the article today where Gil wants Hird back in the AFL. Here it is -

…Hird was coach in 2013 when the Bombers ran their ill-fated supplements program that led to the Court of Arbitration for Sport suspending 34 past and present Essendon players for 2016.

Nothing about guilt or responsibility or any other lies. Finally they have got something right, albeit just one line in an article 5 years too late.

edit: good point 19th not even these facts are correct.

The so called ‘ill fated supplements program’s was in 2012 not 2013. 2013 was the year the AFL ran its concerted media campaign with the help of David Evans, the then Essendon Chairman, to destroy Hird’s reputation. The AFL does not even bother to get its facts right in its haste to get get the message out.

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And; wait for the booing and abuse to start when the tribal idiots spot Hirdy. It has started already, people saying really horrible and insulting things. Is the AFL sincerely trying to bury the hatchet or, is this a way to start drama all over again.

I don’t trust the AFL, they have form, they are lying baskets and have shown they are two faced dishonest prix.

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Think how much he will be booed, now that he has been found sleeping with his secretary.

That is NOT funny.

New coaching gig coming up soon too I heard - in Guangzhou…

As Sheeds said to us at the BBQ. We don’t need AFL awards. We look after our own.

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If I was James Hird and the AFL asked me to present the NSM on Grand Final day I’d hold a press conference for all of the AFL media and politely tell the AFL to go ■■■■ themselves. Unfortunately it appears Hirdy has too much pride to do so.

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