Despite just turning 31-years of age, James Hird is showing no signs of slowing down. In 2003 he was back to his career best form and finished just three votes shy of winning his second Brownlow Medal. Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy said the coaching panel needs to be conscious of keeping Hird in pristine condition for matchday. ""As a coaching group we have to be careful from now on not to over tax him in regard to preparing him at this time of his career. He needs to be spot on for playing games after all the injuries and accidents he has had and the marvellous career he has had,"" Sheedy said.

2003
Hird showed tremendous on-field leadership again last season and was inspirational in a number of Essendon's victories, including the 66-point win against Collingwood on Anzac Day where he was awarded the Anzac Day medal for his best on ground performance. Hird's ability to find the football and tireless work rate made him a key asset in Essendon's team in 2003.His joint best and fairest win with Scott Lucas was a testament to his brilliant season.

STRENGTHS
Where do you start with James Hird’s strengths? – the list is endless. His leadership, fitness, skill level, poise, courage, determination, hunger, spirit, vision and football smarts make him the complete player. It is hard to distinguish one strength from another because all these attributes combine to make him the quality player he is. One strength that often goes unnoticed but is extremely valuable to the Essendon team is Hird’s ability to bring out the best in his teammates. They all seem to walk taller knowing their captain is out on the field with them.

POSITION
Hird is a coach’s dream as he has the ability to play in numerous positions and dominate. It doesn't really matter where you put him he will always be a significant contributor. He spent much of last season in the mid-field and played close to his career best football. His courage is unquestioned and his skill and reading of the play is excellent. He just seems to always find plenty of the ball and you can expect him to play a similar role in 2004.

2004
If Hird had played every game in 2003 there is no doubt that he would have won his second Brownlow Medal. Hird turned 31 in February, but age is certainly not slowing him down - the real test for the skipper in 2004 will be to stay injury free. Hird is an inspirational leader and player at Essendon and is crucial to the team’s success. His ability to play forward, back or in the middle makes him dangerous to opposition teams. Without doubt, Hird is one of the superstars of the competition.

WHAT SHEEDY SAYS
As a coaching group we have to be careful from now on not to over tax him in regard to preparing him at this time of his career. He needs to be spot on for playing games after all the injuries and accidents he has had and the marvelous career he has had. The most important thing to do is to make sure he trains specifically for match day.

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