James Hird

[julzqld]

Don't the media just love him?  I mean, who really cares about the fact that Hirdy says he might retire end of next season.  Why bother telling us now - why not what until end of next season or whenever it will actually happen.   I'm also a bit suspicious of Hirdy's eye injury.  One minute he's out for 5-6 weeks and the next, it's a miracle - back after 2 weeks.

[the_boy_jake]

Hird is the most overrated footballer I have ever seen. To think he is even mentioned on the same sentence as Carey, Voss and Ablett is a disgrace. He also has an irritible bowel.

[WilliamPowell]

Hird is the most overrated footballer I have ever seen.

Have to disagree with you on this one Jake (welcome BTW).

Most overrated footballer I have ever seen is Corey McKernan - the fact that the Tigers made him look good last week re-affirms it for me.

[Puntroadroar]

when it is hirds last game, it will probably be against Richmond 

[Judge Roughneck]

Don't the media just love him?

 

[(•))(©™]

Channel 7 does

[Judge Roughneck]

June 11, 2004, 07:44:06 AM »
Don't the media just love him?  I mean, who really cares about the fact that Hirdy says he might retire end of next season.  Why bother telling us now - why not what until end of next season or whenever it will actually happen.   I'm also a bit suspicious of Hirdy's eye injury.  One minute he's out for 5-6 weeks and the next, it's a miracle - back after 2 weeks.

flashback

Hird faces AFL deregistration
By Karen Lyon
April 9, 2004
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Essendon captain James Hird is facing the prospect of becoming the first player in almost 20 years to be deregistered after being charged with bringing the game into disrepute following his extraordinary verbal attack on field umpire Scott McLaren.

Not since Hawthorn great Leigh Matthews was deregistered in 1985 after an off-the-ball king hit on Geelong's Neville Bruns has a player been deregistered. Hird, the 1996 joint Brownlow medallist, is almost certain to be fined $5000 for his comments on Wednesday, when he described McLaren's umpiring a "disgrace", and after AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou referred the matter to the AFL commission he now faces deregistration.

The commission is empowered to cancel or suspend a player's registration "where it is of the opinion that such player has conducted himself in a manner unbecoming of an AFL player or likely to prejudice the reputation or interests of the AFL or to bring the game of football into disrepute".

Hird has until next Tuesday evening to send written submissions to the AFL to argue his case against any fine and/or deregistration. The commission may choose not to deregister Hird and instead send the case to the tribunal.

Hird's comments come at a time when the league is particularly sensitive to criticism of umpires. The Sanders report - completed by former Adelaide chief executive Bill Sanders - released last year showed there was a crisis in umpiring as few people wished to join its ranks. It cited general disrespect shown by players and public as a major reason.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the comments hit all umpires, not just McLaren. "There are thousands of kids and football followers around the country who respect, admire, adulate people like James Hird," he said. "That's why comments like this can be so very damaging to the role and respect for umpires and the retention of umpires around the country."

During Hird's attack on Melbourne's The Footy Show, Hird said the Bombers did not understand "where he's coming from . . .We've had problems with him in the past."

However, Anderson said the AFL and the umpiring department knew nothing of any long-standing problem between the club and the umpire. "Essendon have not made me aware through any official channels of any problems they have with Scott McLaren as an umpire," he said.

The Bombers were on Thursday night trying to arrange a meeting between Hird, McLaren and umpiring director Jeff Gieschen to discuss Hird's comments.

In an Essendon statement, Hird said frustration at the standard of umpiring had led to the comments but added he did not intend to question the umpire's integrity. "Obviously, I was frustrated by some of the umpiring decisions made last weekend," he said in the statement. "The Footy Show may not have been the appropriate forum to make comment. I look forward to sitting down with Scott next week to work through this issue. Last night's comments were in no way meant to question the integrity or character of Scott McLaren."

Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy defended Hird and denied any suggestions the comments had come at the bequest of the club.

Sheedy said he "never had an idea" of Hird's comments and "nearly fell off the couch" while he watched television. "I think that is where the frustration comes in," he said. "Obviously, there must be something there that either he is annoyed with or the team is. In all honesty it is unfortunate the way that it has happened," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.