Essendon Chairman Paul Little has announced James Hird’s resignation saying the injection program, numerous legal cases, suing the club’s insurer and pro-France views could all be tolerated but not losing.
“Look, injecting players with stuff we don’t know about is bad but it’s not losing regularly by 100 points,” said Mr Little.
“Remember, I extended Hird’s contract despite the fact he’d just been suspend. I even sent him to France for a year and bought him a business degree.
“While I said there were complex factors behind this decision it was really because we were losing.
“Do you think I’d have moved him on if we were 13-6 and about to play finals? You must be high.”
Paul Little said he himself would stay on until the WADA appeal had concluded, which on past form could be until the end of time.
“Of course I could go now but we need stability at the club because if there’s one thing I’ve provided it’s stability.”
“We’ve been stable at rock bottom throughout my chairmanship. That’s actually quite hard to do.”
The settlement between Essendon and James Hird is confidential but is believed to include non-disparagement clauses, a sun bed, the French province of Touraine, 20,000 ‘Stand by Hird’ posters and heaps of money.
It’s believed Essendon are keen to find a new senior coach who is less litigious and has a basic grasp of coaching at AFL level.
COMMENTS
Scott Lane
Aug 18, 2015
Gold
whatevsAU
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily on an unrelated note, I would love to have Paul Little as a granddad. I dunno, he seems like a caring dude.
garryebbott
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily Saving that tweet! It's now featured on http://rbl.ms/1r5lDK8
WCJoey12
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily Malthouse is available. Pretty sure he likes wine
BaronBaron15
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily gowland_ben it's now Neeld's time to rise again !!! #DUDSPUD
torturedwriter
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily Pretty much spot on there.
Bonjour_Pippy
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily Couldn't have a better mentor, do you think Hird was hinting to him for a job?
holdsteadygirl
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily one of your best. sunbed. posters. U0001f44fU0001f44fU0001f44f
John Lewer
Aug 18, 2015
Would you buy a hot dog from this guy?
Rick Lee
Aug 18, 2015
Lauren Sean
Simon Gray
Aug 18, 2015
How on earth do you have time for this? You must've been sitting on this for two years.
Jim Woodcock
Aug 18, 2015
Hird mentality.
Nick Thompson
Aug 18, 2015
Chris Chapman
Aaron Grogs
Aug 18, 2015
Would like to see a tim/jobe watson joint ticket nominate for the position
Michael Towers
Aug 18, 2015
Pretty much.
Ryan O'Shea
Aug 18, 2015
John Cilia
whatevsAU
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily ... but now reading the article, I'm like- "hmmmm, maybe not" :P
PennyGubby
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily losing is unforgiveable, but an ass full of concrete is ok #afl #hird
Kathy Pensa
Aug 18, 2015
Seriously!
Georgina Kate
Aug 18, 2015
Jarrad Waterman
Jimmy Wilson
Aug 18, 2015
Andrew Johnston
Jarrad Garrick
Aug 18, 2015
Goodes no longer booed, Essendon sacks Hird - Titus O'Reily article output drops by 80%
Joel King
Aug 18, 2015
Nick Holloway Jason Bennington
Michael Sabell
Aug 18, 2015
Little still reminds me of Robocop without his helmet on.
Joanne Everett
Aug 18, 2015
Under the bed doona. So warm but when you have to get out so cold!
seanyboi25
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily one of your finest #standbyhird
Luke Wharton
Aug 18, 2015
Josh Wharton
Scott Baker
Aug 18, 2015
Cam Mciver
Roi Apostolopoulos
Aug 18, 2015
He reminds me of the Mask without the green colour....
Roi Apostolopoulos
Aug 18, 2015
Don't 4get Goddard, he might have a sook if u do
Nick Paton
Aug 18, 2015
Chris James
Stel Haranas
Aug 18, 2015
This club is run by a bunch of muppets. Andrew Walpole Evan Haranas
thejackal05
Aug 18, 2015
danfreene check out TitusOReily Essendon: We could handle the injections but not the losing http://titusoreily.com/essendon-we-could-handle-the-injections-but-not-the-losing/ via TitusOReily
MichaelLalor
Aug 18, 2015
You forgot about Eddie "I want the headlines" McGuire asking the AFL to extend the equalisation to Collingwood because they're not going to make the finals this season.
Sean Percy
Aug 18, 2015
Dimitri Bourandanis Leo Cooleo Fabian Lapolla possibly the best one yet. Haha.
Joanne Everett
Aug 18, 2015
WADA A MESS!
Dan Bonham
Aug 18, 2015
Jessica Bonham Mj Leonards Brenton Haynes
Dennis Freedman
Aug 18, 2015
Chris Doyle
D'Arcy O'Shannassy
Aug 18, 2015
Ted O'Brien
MichaelLalor
Aug 18, 2015
There's nothing so amusing as a sacked AFL Coach saying it was his decision to leave. Nobody voluntarily walks the plank.
Stej Bosnjak
Aug 18, 2015
#standbyhird
Dylan Marshall
Aug 18, 2015
Matt Brown
Will Davidson
Aug 18, 2015
#putyourneedlesout
Justin Thomas
Aug 18, 2015
Asada day in the history of footy
Damien D'Souza
Aug 18, 2015
Aidan Roberts Alfred Cole
roosterrowe
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily oh was it against the rules to inject??? #criminal
robbiepoker
Aug 18, 2015
holdsteadygirl TitusOReily I must say both your teams do handle the losing rather well.
Camo Oxford
Aug 18, 2015
Really?!
holdsteadygirl
Aug 18, 2015
robbiepoker TitusOReily grace under pressure my friend. great quality of classy folk.
robbiepoker
Aug 18, 2015
holdsteadygirl TitusOReily very true, Milney was just telling me that the other day.
holdsteadygirl
Aug 18, 2015
robbiepoker #clutchingatstraws
robbiepoker
Aug 18, 2015
holdsteadygirl yeah but we are all narcissists, so what did you expect? "Grace Under Pressure"?
Jai Russell
Aug 18, 2015
Bumble Marquis
Ship Elliman
Weekend warrior McCashney
Matthew McCartney
Aug 18, 2015
Justin Grima
Brock McCashney
Aug 18, 2015
You should have been a doctor. Pretty good needler Jai Russell U0001f602U0001f602
Luke Drenen
Aug 18, 2015
Clinton Brad its funny 'cause not carlton
Penny Beitzel
Aug 18, 2015
This time next week there will be no record that Hird was ever at the club. "Heard who? Never Hird of him."
Scot Kevin
Aug 18, 2015
Essendon fans must love you:)
Michael Sabell
Aug 18, 2015
Hahaha yep
Dianne Mackay
Aug 18, 2015
Grant Price
Dianne Mackay
Aug 18, 2015
Olly Price
Darren O'Leary
Aug 18, 2015
Dead or alive, you're coming with me!
Michael Sabell
Aug 18, 2015
He sure as hell didn't say that to Hirdy today.
Frank Matera
Aug 18, 2015
haha the butthurt is strong in this one
Brady Greene
Aug 18, 2015
Carlton, Melbourne and Essendon still play for another three weeks, Richmond have a first week finals exit to look forward to. short term forecast is good.
Vin Perera
Aug 18, 2015
Gavin Kaye
martydownunder
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily Players were cleared of doping Titus but keep slandering.
al_field
Aug 18, 2015
martydownunder TitusOReily holding on by his fingernails to this Marty
adriansal
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily http://twitter.com/adriansal/status/633583660688539648/photo/1
tronz83
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily you had me at pro-france views U0001f602U0001f602
DemonPatch
Aug 18, 2015
martydownunder TitusOReily Remember you can have banter, but not slander. #strategy
M_TownBallers
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily your a flog hope you get sued
Frank Samohel
Aug 18, 2015
Dog
Trick Spencer
Aug 18, 2015
Jeremy Keysers. Hahahaha
Jeremy Keysers
Aug 18, 2015
Saw it earlier. Gold.
mjmcgeary94
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily according to your 2030 article o he"ll be back about 6 times. And yes I have a life :p
a66burga
Aug 18, 2015
TitusOReily It should have been a plebiscite ? EssendonFC #Hird
Fabian Lapolla
Aug 18, 2015
Hahaha gold
Wayne Reilly
Aug 18, 2015
Did he really say losing by 100points is worse than injecting players with drugs. And he is the president of the club.
Robert Cartledge
Aug 18, 2015
Tori
CellinoFactor
Aug 18, 2015
DemonPatch martydownunder TitusOReily Hey Marty I hope you do better at your work than the quality of your tweets suggests.
TigerAncient
Aug 18, 2015
martydownunder TitusOReily if they are cleared by the CAS they will be innocent. Until then, the jury is out.
Jason Scott
Aug 18, 2015
Timothy John Field
Mick_EFC
Aug 18, 2015
Dear god what a clusterf__k! Never would have guessed it would end up like this, Hird seemed like such a cleanskin. But I agree with Bomber, until all who oversaw this mess are gone the club would always be tainted so I'm glad Hird's gone...now Little needs to walk the plank.
Paul Brown
Aug 18, 2015
Yes but they chose to inject the players with drugs, they didn't chose to lose game after game.
_evelyn_w
Aug 19, 2015
TitusOReily Too true lol
DavidC151
Aug 19, 2015
TitusOReily too many people keeping proper records of their losses.
Freoval
Aug 19, 2015
Everything you say is true. The headline cuts to the chase. If they were winning, Hird would still be there regardless of the injections that he organised.
NotBombay
Aug 19, 2015
TitusOReily My name has come up as a potential coaching replacement. I am a championship winning coach with impeccable legal credentials.
Matt Morrow
Aug 19, 2015
Leigh James