D-day for Tania and James Hird Jon Pierik
The Age
March 24, 2014 - 6:20PM Tania Hird, the wife of suspended Essendon coach James, is expected to be hauled before the Essendon board on Wednesday and ordered to take a vow of silence to ensure her husband returns to the top job next season.
The Bombers’ directors met via telephone hook-up on Monday, with the future of James Hird on the line after Tania’s television interview last week, where she again took aim at AFL chief Andrew Demetriou, which prompted Essendon chairman Paul Little to not guarantee the banished coach would be back.
In a statement on Monday night, Essendon said: "The club wishes to advise the matter relating to James Hird has been referred to a board meeting on Wednesday. There'll be no further comment."
Little has already told James Hird to better control those around him.
Hird is in Singapore, en route to France, as part of a six-moth study tour, in part paid for by the Bombers. He is likely to front the board by skype and faces, at least, a severe reprimand.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd declared on Saturday Hird would be welcomed back as coach, but Little and his board have yet to confirm this.
Hird’s father, Allan, maitained the family line in an interview with Fairfax Media on Sunday, describing Demetriou as a bully.
Tania Hird’s comments overshadowed the Bombers’ season-opening win over North Melbourne and Dustin Fletcher’s record-equalling games tally.
That the players are clearly enjoying playing under Mark Thompson, also a Bombers great and a two-time premiership coach, has also raised questions as to whether he should be offered the job long term.
The Bombers would face a pay out of more than $2 million should they sack Hird.
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