UPDATE – 3pm: Hird has left the Bombers Tullamarine headquarters and defiantly stated “I am still the coach.”
The Bombers board will be holding a meeting next week to decide the fate of the embattled senior coach.
The Age is reporting that the former Bomber Premiership captain and Brownlow Medalist will be removed as the senior coach of the club as early as next week following a crisis meeting of the Essendon board at the club’s Tullamarine headquarters this morning.
The move comes after Hird split from the club and chose to lodge an appeal over the Federal Court‘s ruling of the case against ASADA, concerning the on-going supplements scandal.
Essendon chose not to appeal the decision – despite legal advice suggesting an appeal would be upheld – instead choosing to seek an expedited conclusion to the now nearly two year long saga.
Hird’s appeal was lodged with the High Court this morning at around 10am – he arrived at the Bombers’ HQ at approximately 11:20am to meet with chairman Paul Little and the rest of the board. Hird had met with Little in his South Yarra offices late yesterday. Shortly thereafter it was announced that Hird would not be attending that evening’s Crichton Medal (Essendon’s club Best & Fairest) where he was due to address the 1600-strong crowd at Crown Casino.
The Age also reports that interim coach Mark Thompson is expected to be named the Bombers permanent senior coach within days.
More as this story develops.
Photo: Michael Dodge via Getty Images.
