Bombers icon reveals truth about Hird rift

1 year ago 74

Essendon fable Tim Watson has denied claims that helium campaigned against James Hird's bid to beryllium Bombers manager owed to his relation successful the club's supplements saga.

Watson responded to a study connected the 10-year day of Essendon self-reporting to the AFL with regards to its supplements programme which suggested that the 2 nine icons' narration had been damaged beyond repair.

While admitting that helium and Hird presently "don't person a relationship", Watson revealed he'd reached retired to his 1993 premiership teammate pursuing caller reports.

"We're not champion friends and we were friendlier backmost successful the day, but this full happening happened and I've reached retired to him, I've reached retired to 'Bomber' (then-Essendon adjunct manager Mark Thompson) and I recognize radical are moving done this emotionally and mentally successful their ain clip and successful their ain mode and I respect that," helium told SEN.

"I'd beryllium lone excessively blessed to beryllium down and person a speech with him. In fact, the 1993 premiership reunion volition beryllium this year. There volition beryllium a function, we'll transverse paths, I clasp nary ill-will towards James."

Watson's household was peculiarly impacted by the fallout from the supplements saga which happened connected Hird's watch, with his son, then-Essendon skipper Jobe Watson, being forced to springiness up his 2012 Brownlow Medal.

Hird's tenure arsenic manager of Essendon ended successful 2015, and helium threw his chapeau successful the ringing precocious past twelvemonth aft the nine sacked Ben Rutten with a twelvemonth to tally connected his deal, but was yet unsuccessful arsenic Brad Scott was appointed arsenic the adjacent Bombers coach.

Watson denied that he'd actively told Essendon powerbrokers not to prosecute Hird.

"I conscionable didn't deliberation helium was the close idiosyncratic for this clip and the nine needed to determination guardant and it was arsenic elemental arsenic that," helium said.

"I didn't ringing anybody and dependable my sentiment astir (the coaching search). I didn't ringing David Barham, who is the chairman, I didn't accidental to him, 'David you can't name James Hird'.

"I had different radical ringing maine trying to run connected James' behalf and I said to them that I didn't deliberation it was the close happening and that they needed to tally a process and find the champion campaigner – which they did, which I thought was the close happening to do.

"I mean, erstwhile you work that communicative astir the information that James and Kevin Sheedy and others were moving this arsenic a fait accompli and that that's what they wanted to do, they wanted to insert James arsenic the coach, to maine arsenic an Essendon person, the fans and the players merit the champion idiosyncratic and the champion campaigner they tin perchance find."

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