Essendon skipper James Hird trialled a protective helmet for the first time at training this afternoon. The helmet has been specially designed to protect the facial fractures Hird sustained four weeks ago during the match against Fremantle. Hird covered the unattractive helmet with a beanie to the amusement of his teammates and onlookers. Essendon doctor Bruce Reid said the helmet is essential for the 29-year-old to wear now that he has started body contact work. ""The helmet has been made to fit Hird to put the pressure elsewhere than his forehead. If he gets a knock it will disperse the blow. It looks a little funny so that is why James is wearing a beanie,"" Reid said.

Hird will wear the helmet at training and for an indefinite period after he is back playing. ""He might wear it for up to four to five weeks, we will just have to wait and see - it won't affect the way he plays though. We are not worried about guarding the fractures below and beside the eye - the one we want to guard is the one above the eye where it goes into the frontal sinus. That one doesn't heal as strongly in the four week period, where as the other ones could take a severe knock""

The helmet is a soft giving texture and it has a harder structure attached to it that will disperse the weight of a knock and then padding underneath to take the force in another area. It is not dangerous for another player if they make contact with the helmet. ""We have to have the helmet approved by the AFL - we would be very surprised if it is not approved. The helmet has a hardened outside, a soft inside and then a donuting around the fracture area so there is no pressure on the fracture area. So if he got a knock, the pressure would go everywhere else other than the fracture. The helmet is certainly doing the job it has been made for. James would probably rather wear nothing but he has been told to wear it so he is,"" Reid said.