AFL great James Hird was taken to hospital after suffering a medical episode while appearing live on Channel Nine’s Footy Classified on Tuesday night.
The former Essendon captain reportedly became distressed during the early stages of the program after a piece of food became lodged in his throat.
Viewers could hear the 53-year-old coughing shortly after the show began before he left the set during the first ad break.
Despite the incident, Hird returned and completed the remainder of the broadcast.
Host Eddie McGuire later revealed Hird required emergency treatment after leaving the studio.
“James did the show and went to emergency,” McGuire told the Herald Sun.
“They gave him general anaesthetic, put a tube down his throat and found a piece of lamb that was apparently blocking his esophagus.
“It was like he was drowning because the saliva couldn’t get through.”
McGuire said Hird had already been discharged from hospital by Wednesday morning.
“Most people would take two months off work. Hirdy finished the show and he’s (already) out of hospital.”
Hird remained on the panel throughout most of the broadcast despite discomfort.
He is still expected to appear on another Channel Nine football program later this week alongside former Geelong premiership player Jimmy Bartel.
The former midfielder remains one of Essendon’s most decorated players, winning two premierships in 1993 and as captain in 2000.
After retiring in 2007, he moved into coaching and was appointed Essendon coach in 2011.
His tenure became overshadowed by the club’s supplements scandal where thirty-four Essendon players were found guilty on appeal of taking banned performance-enhancing substances during the 2012 AFL season.
The fallout placed intense pressure on Hird both professionally and personally.
In 2020, he spoke publicly about the toll the scandal had taken on his mental health.
“I remember sitting on my kitchen floor and everyone’s gone to bed, my wife’s upstairs, the kids are in bed, and I am sitting there, just crying on the ground,” he told friend and fellow great Shane Crawford at the time.
“You’re just grieving this life you had.”
Hird has since worked in coaching and mentoring positions at VFL level before transitioning into football media.