What is james hird?

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James Hird

James Hird (born 4 February 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He is best known for his decorated career with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), where he played from 1992 to 2007.

Hird was a highly skilled and influential midfielder, known for his exceptional vision, marking ability, and leadership. He won the Brownlow Medal in 1996, was a five-time All-Australian, and captained Essendon from 1998 to 2005. He also led Essendon to a premiership in 2000, where he was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground.

Following his playing career, Hird transitioned into coaching, becoming the senior coach of Essendon in 2010. However, his coaching tenure was marred by the Essendon Football Club supplements saga, which involved allegations of the club administering banned substances to players. This led to Hird being suspended from coaching for a year in 2013 and eventually resigning from his position in 2015. After some time away from the AFL scene, Hird has returned to coaching in assistant roles.