AFL great James Hird on cusp of return to coaching with reports 'job is his if he wants it'

Essendon legend James Hird is reportedly considering a return to top-level coaching with VFL side Port Melbourne - where his son Tom plays. Hird held an assistant coaching role with the GWS Giants in 2022, but was said to be heartbroken to miss out on the top job at Essendon just before that.

There were concerns he'd be lost to the game completely, but the 51-year-old is said to be weighing up a return to coaching in the VFL. “I can tell you tonight the job is his if he wants it,” leading reporter Sam Landsberger said on Fox Footy's 'Midweek Tackle' program on Thursday night, revealing that Hird will meet with Port Melbourne officials.

“The key consideration for James is whether he wants to coach his son Tom. Would that be awkward? How would Tom feel? And also his business interests. But the family is in love with Port Melbourne Football Club … They could not be more thrilled with the way they’ve taken his son in and what they’ve done for him.”

Tom Hird was with Essendon for three seasons before being cut, and never made it at AFL level. He's been with Port Melbourne for the past two years. “I think this would be a great move, both for the competition and James Hird, who’s too good a person and too good a footy brain to not be involved in some way shape or form in footy," said Glenn McFarlane.

Could James Hird be next head coach of West Coast Eagles?

Lansberger also said Hird could be a wildcard choice to take the vacant West Coast job. “My understanding is with key candidates dropping out of the West Coast race in Dean Cox and Josh Carr, if they were to make the phone call to James Hird, I think he would be receptive to it,” Landsberger said. “Now it’s long odds they’d put the call in, but I think he’d pick up the phone if they did call.”

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Cox and Carr are currently working as assistants at Sydney and Port Adelaide, and have ruled themselves out of contention for the West Coast job in recent days. And Port Adelaide head coach Ken Hinkley also dismissed links to the Eagles role on Thursday.

"We've got a big job. We've got five games left in our season and hopefully more to play," Hinkley said on Thursday about the Power. "It's really clear about one thing - I am coaching Port Adelaide and I love coaching Port Adelaide and I have a contract to continue to coach Port Adelaide."

Eagles interim coach Jarrad Schofield is among the candidates to take on the full-time role. Ash Hansen, Jaymie Graham, Nathan Buckley, Brett Montgomery, Daniel Giansiracusa, Scott Burns and Andrew McQualter are among the many others who could also be in the running.

According to Jay Clark of the Herald Sun, Carlton assistant coach Ash Hansen “really looms as an incredibly strong candidate". He said on Fox Footy: “West Coast is yet to reach out to him – or any of the other candidates. I think West Coast is getting their ducks in a row. I think they’re trying to work out what they want in their coach … so they’ve taken their time.

“I think it’ll be interesting from this weekend and whether those phone calls will start to be made. From a timeline perspective, that pre-finals bye looms large as a time where West Coast and Don Pyke can get in front of some of those candidates.”