When speaking about the Essendon Football Club, two names that have always come to mind are Kevin Sheedy and James Hird. One as a player and one as a coach, these two men over a vast number of years left their mark on the club and are still seen today as champions of the club.

Saturday night’s clash will be the first time the pair meets in the coach’s box and it will be Sheedy’s first game against the Bombers since he played for Richmond. The last time Sheedy faced off against Essendon was Round 17, July 29^th 1978. This gap of 33 years and 302 days represents the longest gap in VFL/AFL history for any person between matches against one club.

James Hird was the third generation of his family to play for the Bombers. During his time at the club, Hird played in three premierships, won five best and fairest medals, four Crichton medals and the Brownlow medal. He retired in 2007 after a string of injuries and in September 2010, it was announced that he would take over the reins at the Bombers as coach.

Kevin Sheedy began coaching the Bombers in 1981 after having a successful career on field himself playing 251 games for Richmond. He was a great coach of the Bombers and helped them to four premiership wins – 1984, 1985, 1993 and 2000. In 2007, Sheedy’s contract was not renewed and he left the club, he was farewelled by his supporters with a standing ovation for all the good work he had done for the club with his 27 years service. Sheedy signed a contract in 2009 agreeing to be the first coach of Greater Western Sydney for the 2012 season.