Yep
It’s not weird at all.
They leaked the news because they want to look good post the health scare in Jan.
They knew there was a chance he’d say no and nobody would know they asked, so they leak it so they look good anyway and by doing so; force his hand to say yes.
They only way to make this right is to make it and win the flag. Go Dons.
We are such a cynical bunch (wonder why), I love it
Hirdy should agree to do it, then do a Luke Beveridge and pull Jobe onto the podium with him and present him with his '96 Brownlow Medal, then tutn around and tell Gil to go bash his Norm Smith presentation up his a.r.s.e.
It’s pretty simple, James wouldn’t open their letters or take their calls, so the AFL had to leak it to a journalist to let him know the offer was there. Either way the AFL gets a positive story that Hird is welcome and that it was his right to present as a former Norm Smith medalist, and if he said no, they would still get to be the positive one’s who made the offer.
I think James sees himself as part of the game and its history and loves it despite the AFL.
This is great for Hirds image, and it’s good he’s accepted it.
Considering how much the AFL have tarnished him, he’d be mad not to make the most of it.
Hell, i might even watch.
"We had an executive punch someone and there are rumours of an affair at head office."
— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) July 13, 2017
"Get James Hird to present the Norm Smith Medal."
Well, Liz should get to work to make sure that won’t happen.
Perfect.
So Hird to hand Jobe the norm Smith after we do the giants by a point in the granny?
Stick it up 'em, Hirdy!
How long do the AFL usually take to welcome the banished back into the fold? Four years is a long time for them to have been a complete ■■■■ to Hirdy.
Would have nothing to do with any scandals at the AFL they’d like off the back page of course.
Is it just me, or is Hirdy always on fricken holidays?
If you hit your partner less than a year (see Carey). If you’re the victim of a sustained attack on your name - until you end up in hospital.
Spin to call it a gesture, considering he was due to do the presentation. The other spin is the timing of the announcement. Gil would probably have been comfortably satisfied if he were to decline.
IMHO, I reckon Gill was banking on Jim saying no. The AFail would be seen as doing the right thing as per process and 'extending the hand of reconciliation '. The spin going forward will be interesting, how will they mitigate their own BS and bad feeling from the crowd/sponsors/other clubs and media? Quite a pickle for the AFail.
90,000 people at the MCG, 5 million watching on TV.
You know what to do Hirdy!
Yeah, moon 'em all Hirdy!
I can see it coming a mile off…
Robbo’s next article, “Boo James Hird? Let’s hope not.”
Or “What if Bachar Houli wins the Norm Smith; who will they be booing?”.