The playing careers of James Hird and Nathan Buckley ran side by side, both starting in the early 1990s, both retiring in 2007, both superstars, a Brownlow Medal apiece, both adored by their respective fans.<\/p>\n
During that time there were often debates about who was the better player, with Michael Voss the other champion in that conversation at that time.<\/p>\n
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Hird\u2019s public campaign contrasts with quiet Buckley<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n Fast forward to 2026, and Buckley and Hird are once again being compared, this time as coaches as they both make bids to return to the hot seat.<\/p>\n Of course, Buckley\u2019s return has been well considered and there are no surprises. After guiding Collingwood to a grand final in 2018, then returning to the media, he is now an assistant at Geelong as he prepares to throw his hat in the ring one more time.<\/p>\n Hird, of course, made the bombshell announcement only last week<\/a> that he too was ready to return.<\/p>\n However, as the Hird \u201ccampaign\u201d goes into overdrive, there also many questions about his lack of experience. He last coached in 2015 and his desire to help his beloved club, Essendon, is behind his motivation.<\/p>\n Buckley\u2019s motivation is simply to be the best coach he can be. <\/p>\n Hird, of course, won two premierships during his playing days, Buckley agonisingly missed out as player and coach … silverware drives Buckley. <\/p>\n Now 53, Buckley said on Fox Footy on Monday: \u201cI\u2019m very deliberate in getting back into coaching to prepare myself for a senior coaching opportunity. And as you said, I\u2019ve made no secret of the fact of where or what I\u2019m preparing for or what role I wish to be in. But I don\u2019t have that role. So, I mean, I\u2019ll look at different options.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking at the two greats, veteran journalist Caroline Wilson said the difference was chalk and cheese.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just such a big comparison, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Wilson said on Channel 7\u2019s The Agenda Setters.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI mean, there\u2019s someone who\u2019s gone back to another club to learn his craft again. And, you know, Geelong people are loving him. They\u2019re raving about the work he\u2019s doing. They say he hasn\u2019t put a foot wrong. He\u2019s a great yin and yang with Chris Scott.\u201d<\/p>\n Collingwood premiership hero Dale Thomas, who was a temmate of Buckley\u2019s at the start of his career and was also coached by Buckley, said the emotion had to be taken out of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just flummoxed by the whole emotion around the Essendon campaign. Because if you take the emotion out of it, there\u2019s no way that they can sit there and look any (candidate) in the eye and say this is a fair race until they come out (and explained) what is going to be the process,\u201d Thomas said. <\/p>\n \u201cBecause right now, if you\u2019re comparing Nathan Buckley to James Hird, and again, take out the emotion of Collingwood v Essendon … there\u2019s no way you can pick James Hird ahead of Nathan Buckley on what we\u2019ve seen from other processes that have (decided) coaches.<\/p>\n \u201cSo unless Essendon\u2019s is completely different, and I\u2019m not just saying Nathan Buckley, you can chuck all the other coaches who have just out of the game, Ken Hinkley in there as well, Adam Simpson who has come out and said, \u2018no, I won\u2019t be a part of it because of this noise,\u2019 it\u2019s almost as if it\u2019s blown up slightly before it\u2019s even started.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If this was a political campaign, you could suggest Hird has taken a page out the Donald Trump playbook. His is stirring up the Essendon \u201cbase\u201d and the media is going along for the ride. <\/p>\n Essendon great Terry Daniher has welcomed the prospect of Hird returning as coach, but has implored the embattled club to run \u201cthe right process\u201d to appoint Brad Scott\u2019s replacement.<\/p>\n Daniher addressed the Bombers\u2019 playing group at Tullamarine on Tuesday as he helped launch the club\u2019s Big Freeze event, ahead of a clash with old rivals Carlton on Sunday night.<\/p>\n The 1984-85 premiership captain urged Essendon to \u201cfight on\u201d through a tough period, after Scott was sacked last week with just one win in his last 24 games at the helm.<\/p>\n Hird wants to return for another stint as coach and looms large over the process, with backing from famous club figures Kevin Sheedy and Michael Long.<\/p>\n But Daniher echoed the thoughts of champion full-forward Matthew Lloyd, who simply wants the best candidate to take over.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re running the right process, it\u2019s only fair that James should have to go through it too,\u201d Daniher told reporters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Stream The Agenda Setters live or watch anytime on-demand at 7plus<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf he\u2019s putting his hand up, which he says in the media he wants to coach, well, OK James, you want to coach, just like the others, line up and put your best foot forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to have him back but I also want it done the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n Essendon, now under interim coach Dean Solomon, sit last on the ladder with a 1-11 record after last week\u2019s loss to West Coast.<\/p>\n Bombers defender Archie Roberts said the players needed \u201csomeone we trust and inspires us\u201d as their next coach, and welcomed the prospect of playing under Hird.<\/p>\n \u201cIf James gets the opportunity, I\u2019m looking forward to it. I\u2019ve only heard great things about him,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n Addressing the Essendon playing group, Daniher said they could take lessons from his brother Neale\u2019s legacy, after Neale lost his long battle with motor neurone disease last week.<\/p>\n \u201c(You\u2019re) going through a tough period at the moment. There\u2019s no question about it,\u201d Daniher said.<\/p>\n \u201c(You) can\u2019t be much lower … you\u2019ve got to face the facts. You\u2019ve got to face them head on, as Nealo would.<\/p>\n \u201cAs he\u2019s shown us, there\u2019s only one way. You\u2019ve got to be resilient enough and take it on, take the challenges on.<\/p>\n \u201cNealo tried to keep a level playing field from start to whoa (as a player and coach), and I reckon he showed that all the way through.<\/p>\n \u201c(He) never fell down, never dropped his bundle.\u201d<\/p>\n Essendon take on a Carlton side that is also operating with an interim coach in Josh Fraser.<\/p>\n The Blues have won three consecutive games under Fraser since Voss was sacked last month.<\/p>\n – With AAP<\/p>\n