James Hird has dismissed a series of reports regarding his interest in being the next Essendon coach, revealing he has not yet spoken to the club about the job.

It has been a week since Hird stated he would be open to stepping into the vacant role at Essendon, and noise has only grown louder about his potential return.

James Hird coached Essendon from 2011 to 2015. Footy Classified

Opinions on Hird taking on the job, along with reports he had already started building the foundations of ‘Team Hird’, captivated the AFL world over the weekend, in what the 53-year-old described as an “interesting” end to his week.

And just as he naturally informed the public last week on Nine’s Footy Classified that he was interested in the opportunity, he returned to the panel to set the record straight on the rumours and reports he has been at the centre of.

“It just got bigger and bigger and bigger … on the weekend, it felt like it was all consuming for the football world,” he said.

“I thought the days of me being chased down the streets by guys with cameras on motorbikes were gone, but we went back to that last week.

James Hird in action as an assistant coach at the Giants.  via Getty Images

“There were a lot of stories, some true and some not. There were lots of opinions about what I should and shouldn’t do. But for me, I stand by what I said.”

Despite making his ambitions clear last week, Hird bluntly revealed “nothing” has happened between him and Essendon since he voiced his interest in the job.

“Andrew Welsh is a good friend of mine, we’ve been friends for 20 years,” he continued.

“I have been very conscious not to reach out to him because I think that is spoiling the process, and it is inserting myself in a way that I don’t want to.

“I want Essendon to go, as I said the other night, through an exhausting process. If I am the candidate that they choose, fantastic. If I’m not, I’m not.”

Hird revealed he has not been contacted by Essendon at all over the past week.

Asked if he is hoping the club will be in contact soon, Hird reiterated his stance that the Bombers need to implement the best process for them not him.

“I don’t hope for anything,” he replied.

“What I want is for the process to be an exhausting one.

“I would like to be part of that process. If that happens in two weeks, three weeks – it is their timeline, and they should set the best process possible.

“Let’s give them the air and space to do that.”

The AFL great did not shy away from acknowledging reports that he had built a team of notable figures to help sway Welsh to appoint him in the job.

The likes of Mark McVeigh, Dean Solomon, Brendan McCartney and Michael Voss has been reported as candidates that Hird would like in his coaching team.

But things “haven’t got to that level” for Hird just yet.

“Obviously, you think about who you would like and there are people in the football world who you respect or would like to work with,” Hird said.

“Putting a team together has not happened … but you don’t get to this point now without thinking day and night about how you would put it together.”

One thing Hird has got prepared, however, is his responses for the interview.

“I think I’ve been preparing for this interview over the past 35 to 40 years,” he concluded.