Latest news with #JamesHird
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Never seen that': Collingwood tactic causes stir after Fremantle defeat
Collingwood rolled the dice with a tactic many footy commentators had never seen before in the frenzied final moments of their loss to Fremantle. The Magpies' lost back-to-back games for the first time in 12 months in their Sunday showdown at the MCG, giving up a 22-point lead in the final quarter as the fast-finishing Dockers ran over the top of them to win a thriller by one point. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Essendon icon James Hird on Sunday night praised Collingwood for the club's late tactical switch despite the team falling short. The Brownlow medalist exposed the team's risky move to avoid committing to tackles in the final minutes as they chased a match-winning goal. Speaking on Channel 9's Footy furnace, Hird highlighted moments where Collingwood players deliberately held back from tackles in order to avoid ball-ups and stoppages. 'Collingwood do 'one percenters' better than everyone else,' Hird said. 'You look at these couple tackles here, the group tackles where the players are held. They tackle here and then he (Steele Sidebottom) backs off. They're backing off because they want to keep the ball in motion. 'This is why Collingwood, even though they lost, for me is such a well coached team. Every part of the game is coached down to the minutia of that. 'That must have been practiced and I reckon they would have gone back and said if we're a goal down with two minutes to go, we do not want stoppages, we want the ball in motion. 'How do we keep the ball in motion? This is the way we do it.' Leading footy journalist Tom Morris said he had never seen the tactic before. Hird responded by saying: 'I've seen it, but not to this extent. That's why Craig McRae is up there with the best coaches in the competition along with a couple of others because his coaching staff are teaching their players in moments how to be so successful.' It wasn't enough to get the Pies over the line with the Dockers' win setting up a hot fight to finish on top of the ladder. Collingwood did everything but beat the Dockers as McRae's men finished with massive buffers in contested possessions (151-131), tackles (86-65) and inside 50s (63-40), but they were undone by their lack of forward efficiency. 'This is one of those games you look at, 'OK. We've got some work to do', and I'd rather be learning those lessons now than learning them later on in the year,' McRae said. 'It just didn't feel like we connected that well this week again, but it's one of those hard games when you dominate so much of the territory, you're winning it back and you go into such density, so it makes it really hard to score. 'But I can't help but feel frustrated at that game because you feel like you did so much right and then you don't get the nourishment of a win. 'I also would've thought we did enough right to get the job done today.' Collingwood are renowned as the close-game specialists since McRae took over in 2022, but after only losing four of 25 games decided by six points or less in the previous three seasons, they've now fallen short in three such games this year. 'Yes and no,' McRae said when asked if he was still backing the method that had served them so well in tight finishes heading into 2025. 'This is not something you've ever got handled, because every game is opportunities live and delayed moments. 'Managing those moments will be forever something we need to do, and if the scoreboard's an indication, we haven't managed it well enough. 'Have we lost our spark? You'd hope not.' Collingwood have taken the liberty of resting players over the past fortnight, given their lead at the top of the ladder was 10 points prior to Round 17, but now that it's shrunk to two, McRae insisted he wouldn't change the way they approached the management of his charges. 'We'll do what's best for our group for what that looks like and when it needs to be in that situation,' McRae said. 'Hard to manage at the moment too many because we haven't got too many others available but the reality is we'll keep doing what we're doing ... it's a long year.' The premiership coach took comfort from the fact that his side suffered some similar hiccups late in the 2023 season before going on to win the flag that year. Meanwhile, McRae forecast forward Tim Membrey and onballer Tom Mitchell would both be available for their clash with Richmond next week.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles make call on contentious tactic amid fury over 'ridiculous' Daicos incident
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter says a controversial fine for St Kilda's Marcus Windhager won't deter him from using a tagger on Nick Daicos in Saturday night's AFL clash with Collingwood. Windhager copped a $1000 fine for an open-hand strike on Daicos in one of several heated incidents during their running battle last week, and it's thrust the role of tagging firmly back into the spotlight. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was fuming in his post-match press conference after questioning many of the free kicks that went against his side, with Windhager giving four away on Daicos alone. The Collingwood star still managed 30 disposals and kicked one goal in the 34-point win at Marvel Stadium, suggesting the tactic to hound Daicos failed to pay off. Rival fans have frequently complained that Daicos gets favourable treatment from umpires and Lyon suggested as much after indicating he would ask the AFL for a 'please explain'. But Essendon legend James Hird said it would be a waste of time for Lyon to take his complaints to AFL House after insisting all four free kicks against Windhager were warranted. "There's not much point going in, Ross, I'd save your money," Hird told Nine's Footy Furnace. "Taggers are a part of the game, they are a good part of the game to negate someone, but if they do step over the line, free kicks should definitely be paid, and those free kicks were there." The drama has fired up debate around the controversial tactic of tagging, with many teams opting not to use it as a way of trying to shut down their opponent's best players. But McQualter often found himself in that role during his playing days and the Eagles coach admitted it was a tactic they could use to blunt Daicos and his brother Josh. RELATED: Ben Cousins sheds light on fresh scare after ending up in hospital Kangaroos greats slammed for boycott over women's footy storm Carlton captain's startling confession as Buddy calls for coach to go "(Nick) is such an exceptional player," McQualter said on Wednesday. "His brother's pretty handy, too, and they've also got a few others that are quite capable. It's definitely a challenge and there's no easy answer to it. Even when you tag Nick, he's pretty handy still. "You've got to remember I was a battler tagger myself back in the day, so I'm supportive of the tagger. The game's got rules and you can push the rules as far as you can. But ultimately if you're breaking the rules you should get free kicks against, or the punishment against." Brady Hough looms as the man most likely to be employed in the tagger role if West Coast do go down that route against Collingwood, having done a similar job on Geelong superstar Bailey Smith after quarter-time in round 12. "He played in defence for the first four years of his career and building his game that way, we think he's got the skill-set to do it," McQualter said. "If we do go that way it probably will be Houghy. We'll wait and see." While tagging may not be the most popular tactic with many fans and coaches, McQualter didn't have any issues with how Windhager handled his clash with Daicos. And he suggested the free kicks the St Kilda star gave away were probably fair. "I thought he was disciplined to his job and there were times when he gave away free kicks," the West Coast coach added. "The umpires paid those free kicks and so be it." I dont think he should have be fined. I cant blame Daicos for putting a bit on it though. if taggers want to play outside the rules with holds, soft punches or kneeing him, I think its only fair the tagged player milk it a bit for free kicks to stop the tag. — Jordy D (@d33_jordy) June 23, 2025 No way it is a fine but they have to do it every time it happens now. There will be a lot of fines handed out — Richard Ballard (@warnbells) June 23, 2025 Irrelevant of teams or players involved…Funny how many people think it's ok to hit a player off the ball.. Open hand or not, it's still a hit, regardless how hard it is & the last time l checked the rules don't allow it….Pendles got a fine 4 doing same thing last year to Neale — Big G (@BigG3148) June 23, 2025 Of course its not a fine, ridiculous to even suggest itBut why the hatred of Daicos? Windhager throughout the night really pushed the limits of what is legal in the game. Why no mention of that? Why is it all centred on Daicos and why is he continually called soft? Its craziness — Nathan (@nathanjsmith86) June 23, 2025 with AAP
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
See the photos that prove footy legend James Hird and his wife have their priorities right after shock marriage split
Tania Hird has proved her split with her husband James is an amicable one by having a great day out as the footy icon's new team held a ladies' day recently. The former Essendon star and coach is now director of coaching with the Port Melbourne club, where his son Tom plays - and despite their marriage falling apart, Tania was on hand to cheer on the Borough last weekend. She posted photos of her outing to Instagram along with the caption: 'A stunning Ladies Day at Port Melbourne Football Club with terrific company and warm, woollen @hairflairaus scarves,' referring to her accessories business. Tania's photos showed her cheering the players onto the ground, with one appearing to reach out to high-five her, along with a close-up of a smiling Tom taking to the field. The heartwarming post comes after James Hird's decision to get involved with Port was rumoured to be the source of some tension between him and Tania before they split. One of footy's foremost power couples, the Hirds announced the end of their 27-year marriage back in January. The Bombers legend and Tania were together through his highs as arguably the game's best player at the peak of his on-field career, to the shattering lows brought on by the Essendon drugs scandal, which broke in 2013. Incredibly, the couple - who have four children together - reportedly managed to keep their split a secret for more than a year. Shortly after their news became public, a family friend revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Hird told his friends there was no infidelity involved in the decision to go their separate ways - and that he still treasures Tania. 'He is telling friends that he will always love Tania,' the source revealed. 'James thinks she has done an amazing job of raising their kids. 'Neither one of them has cheated, there's no third party involved, but after 27 years they've simply grown apart.' Another source with ties to the Hird family said the couple were eager to keep their parting of the ways out of the spotlight until all of their children - Stephanie, Tom, Alex and William - had finished school. That source also maintained there was some tension between James and Tania over his interest in returning to the footy world as he was tied to a coaching position with Port Melbourne last year. Earlier this week, Hird opened up about his surprise move with Port. 'They've been good to Tom and I felt like I could make a difference here. To do something with your son is very special,' he told News Corp. 'This is a journey in itself, being part of Port Melbourne Football Club and trying to create a good football program where we can have some success and teach and help players learn. That's the sole purpose of doing it.' Hird says he's not thinking about coaching in the AFL after returning to commentary with Channel Nine.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Footy legend James Hird opens up about shock career move that was rumoured to have played a role in his marriage split
Essendon great James Hird has opened up about his surprise move back into coaching - a decision that is rumoured to have played a part in the breakdown of his marriage. The AFL Hall of Famer and his wife Tania quietly separated over a year ago, ending a 27-year marriage that began in 1997 and spanned both triumph and turmoil at Essendon. The former couple's high-profile standing made their ability to keep the split a secret for so long all the more surprising. Hird, now 52, moved out of their Toorak family home, choosing to focus on his mental health and career away from the public eye. A source with ties to the family said there were tensions between the couple over Hird's interest in taking a coaching position with Port Melbourne. Hird has been involved with the iconic Victorian club since his son Tom joined the Borough in 2023, and is now the director of coaching under Brendan McCartney. McCartney was one of Hird's assistants at Essendon in 2011 and the pair have a great working relationship. Some have speculated that he took the job as a step to once again reclaiming the Essendon coaching position, but Hird insists he just wants to help the club. 'It's not (about Essendon),' he told News Corp. 'It's to help out Port. They've been good to Tom and I felt like I could make a difference here. To do something with your son is very special. 'This is a journey in itself, being part of Port Melbourne Football Club and trying to create a good football program where we can have some success and teach and help players learn. That's the sole purpose of doing it.' Hird says he's not thinking about coaching in the AFL. 'My focus is working with the boys here,' he said. 'What are we, four wins, one draw and five losses? We've got a lot of work to do to make the most of this year and then how we set ourselves up for next year.' He says the role is rewarding and he's been surprised by how much fun he is having. 'I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I am,' he says. 'You realise why you love footy when you're in and around a group of young guys, young people who want to get better, and a group of coaches who also want to get better. 'Everyone says coaching is a stressful job. And it is. But it's also … when you're doing it, you're teaching people how to play and helping them get better … so it's a very rewarding job as well.' Hird's illustrious playing career, which began with Essendon at pick 79 in the 1990 National Draft, reached its peak in 1996 when he shared the Brownlow Medal with Michael Voss. He later claimed the Norm Smith Medal in 2000 and helped deliver a premiership to the Bombers in the same year. His remarkable achievements, including five Best and Fairest medals, secured him a place in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Off-field, a succession of legal disputes and the devastating supplements saga tested his resilience to the limit.
Mercury
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Mercury
James Hird director of coaching at Port Melbourne in the VFL
James Hird is up for a history lesson. A framed painting of the Port Melbourne team of the century hangs in a room under the grandstand at North Port Oval where Hird and club analyst Tom Williams sit before training. The Essendon great asks for a few of the Borough champions in portraiture to be pointed out to him. That's Norm Goss, after whom the grandstand is named and a man once described by ex-Port player Brendan Behan as 'the town hall cleaner who ran the known world''. That's Fred Cook, who kicked goals galore. That's Billy Swan, a two-time JJ Liston Trophy winner and Dane's old man. That's big 'Stretch'' Aanensen, who also won two Listons and whose death two weeks ago hit his former teammates hard. 'That's why we wore the black armbands,'' Hird, Port's director of coaching, nods. On it goes, a gallery of VFA greats. Hird appreciates Port Melbourne's rich heritage and stature as a football club established in 1874. 'Seventeen premierships,'' he says. 'Going back to the VFA days, I always thought Port and Williamstown were the two clubs that stood out. My grandfather (Allan Hird Snr) played at Williamstown, the arch rival.'' Hird never played a game at the Port Melbourne ground but as Essendon's senior coach he visited when its VFL team played the Borough. Now he sees North Port Oval day and night, and its every view and every hue impress him. It's as if tall city buildings are close enough to cast a shadow on the outer wing. 'You don't realise how close we are to the CBD,'' he says. 'When the boys are training, you shouldn't take your eyes off them. But occasionally you glance up for that beautiful view.'' Hird has been involved at Port since 2023, when his son Tom joined the Borough after being delisted by the Bombers. As a parent, he says, he tried to be anonymous in the outer – no easy task given his accomplishments in the game. He recalls with a laugh how Frankston supporters on 'the hill'' noticed him one night and went the heckle. Port coach Adam Skrobalak used him as a quiet sounding board. They spoke every second week and caught up from time to time. 'He was a good help to me,'' Skrobalak, who relocated to Queensland at the end of last season, says. 'He was really strong on that we were heading in the right direction and it takes time, don't rush the process due to outside noise – keep them going, keep teaching.'' He says Hird had 'such a calming feel about him''. ***** James Hird downplays his position at Port Melbourne, saying he merely 'moves the cones'' for senior coach Brendan McCartney and 'pumps up the footies''. Late last season, he was sounded out – but not officially asked – about taking over from Skrobalak. Two things ultimately led him to turn it down: his work as CEO of Euree Asset Management and the prospect of coaching Tom. But he did urge Port Melbourne officials to go after McCartney, who was one of his assistants at Essendon in 2011 and more recently coached North Ballarat in the Ballarat league. 'My view was that 'Macca' would be the best person for the job,'' Hird says. 'With his teaching of the fundamentals of the game, I thought he'd be excellent for Port Melbourne. I wasn't sure what he was doing but as it turned out he was quite excited about it.'' Was it true he once said McCartney was one of the best development coaches in the country? Hird goes further, saying he's among the best coaches. 'Kevin Sheedy was my coach, David Wheadon was an excellent coach, Danny Corcoran, Mark Williams, I coached with Simon Goodwin, Mark Thompson … and Brendan stands as equal as any of them,'' he says. He told Port he would 'help out'' McCartney. The appointments – McCartney as coach, Hird as director of coaching – were made even before the home-and-away season was done. But Hird does much more than move than cones and put air in the balls. He attends all the training sessions, is on the match committee and runs the bench on match day. At quarter breaks he gets busy on the board as McCartney comes down from the box. Are they co-coaches? 'It's gone from doing not much to having a fair bit of a role,'' Hird says. 'I wouldn't say we're co-coaches. I have a fair input. But 'Macca' is the coach. He's definitely the main man and I step in under that.'' Former captain Toby Pinwill is now Port's director of football, and with club CEO Sophie Williams identified Hird as a potential replacement for Skrobalak. As Pinwill sees it, Hird and McCartney are 'very much a partnership''. 'They've got so much respect for each that if 'Hirdy' came in and said, 'I'd like to do the talk today' or 'I reckon we play this bloke in this position today', 'Macca' would say no worries,'' he says. 'Brendan's the coach. But 'Hirdy' is as senior an assistant as you could get.'' Pinwill was impressed in his early discussions with Hird when he remarked how much he respected the competition. At age 17 he lined up for the ACT against the 1990 VFA representative team coached by Phil Cleary. When Hird accepted the Port role a lot of people said he had an ulterior motive: it was a step towards regaining the Essendon coaching position he relinquished in 2015 in the prolonged fallout from the supplements saga. He insists his only motive is to help the Port Melbourne players improve and for the club to again be successful after a modest few years in the post-Gary Ayres era. 'It's not (about Essendon),'' he says. 'It's to help out Port. They've been good to Tom and I felt like I could make a difference here. To do something with your son is very special. This is a journey in itself, being part of Port Melbourne Football Club and trying to create a good football program where we can have some success and teach and help players learn. That's the sole purpose of doing it.'' Does he ever think of a return to coaching in the AFL? 'I've answered that a few times. My focus is working with the boys here. What are we, four wins, one draw and five losses? We've got a lot of work to do to make the most of this year and then how we set ourselves up for next year.'' Hird had a small role with GWS in 2022, but his position at Port has immersed him in a club for the first time since he left the Bombers in a forest of headlines. He says he missed the 'whole environment''. 'I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I am,'' he says. 'You realise why you love footy when you're in and around a group of young guys, young people who want to get better, and a group of coaches who also want to get better. 'Everyone says coaching is a stressful job. And it is. But it's also … when you're doing it, you're teaching people how to play and helping them get better … so it's a very rewarding job as well.'' For his part, Skrobalak has no doubt Hird could coach again in the AFL. His great supporter Sheedy does too. He's pleased to see his former captain in the VFL. 'It's great for him,'' Sheedy says. 'From where he's been and the difficulties he's had in life, it's good that he's back into footy and coaching. It's fantastic for him.'' Could he coach in the AFL again? 'James Hird can do anything,'' Sheedy says. Pinwill played under Ayres, who steered the Borough to the 2011 and '17 premierships and grew deeply attached to the club. He was a life member when he left at the end of 2021. Pinwill believes Hird is going through what Ayres did. 'They've had all these achievements with their footy but I reckon there's an element of surprise almost of how much they enjoy their time at this level. It's real football,'' he says. 'He (Hird) fully loves it. He's openly said that, about how much it's giving him. It's easy to frame it as, 'I'm coming back and helping a club'. He frames it as, 'I'm getting more out of this rather than the other way around'.'' Hird's regard for the VFL was apparent when CODE Sports contacted him to arrange an interview at North Port Oval. He had a few questions of his own, all pertaining to the competition and its future. Will the reserves come back? Will the AFL support the 'old'' Victorian clubs, such as Port, Willy and Coburg? Does it recognise their importance as a means of giving players the chance to be drafted or play at a level beyond suburban football? Hird particularly admires the commitment of the players, most of whom juggle football with work and study. He knows they could go elsewhere and receive more money for less commitment. Their efforts 'don't go unnoticed'' and 'they train their backsides off''. Pinwill suspects the Port players trained like Hird did when he entered league football in the early 1990s, rolling up at 5pm. 'The time they put in and how driven they are … in some ways the mindset our players have is actually closer to an AFL footballer when James Hird started than what an AFL footballer is now,'' he says. 'He might be surprised at how much he sees in himself in our players and what it takes to be here. He sees what they have to do during the week and then go out and consistently beat AFL players.'' Hird is also doing commentary and analysis for the Footy Furnace and Footy Classifield programs, which he thinks fits in well with his role at Port. 'To dissect the AFL games … it overlaps with what I'm doing here,'' he says. Pinwill was at Port Melbourne when Hawthorn great and former Geelong and Adelaide coach Ayres arrived in 2008. He thinks Hird has brought similar gravitas to the Borough. 'When I'm meeting people down the street or wherever and Port Melbourne comes up, they always used to bring up 'Ayresy'. Now they're bringing up James Hird and Brendan McCartney. 'Even people who don't follow the VFL notice 'Hirdy' is down at Port Melbourne, which is great for us and great for the competition as well.'' Originally published as 'Fully loves it': James Hird's leap from a Bomber to a Borough
