Essendon and North Melbourne will honour recently retired club greats James Hird and Glenn Archer through a special medal that will be presented annually following the teams' first clash of the season.

 

The clubs have commissioned a medal which will be awarded to the player who epitomizes the values upheld by the legends. 

 

""Essendon and the Kangaroos have had a terrific rivalry in recent years and I could not think of two players to better represent that than James Hird and Glenn Archer,"" Essendon Managing Director, Peter Jackson, said.

""They were both players of unquestioned courage and I think this is will be an award that will have great meaning to those players lucky enough to win it."" 

The concept for the Archer-Hird Medal grew from the mutual admiration and respect shown by the two champions on the last occasion they met on the battlefield in 2007 and swapped jumpers.

 

Hird and Archer will be presented to the Dome crowd before the Round 1 Easter Monday clash.

 

Career Stats

 
James Hird
 

·        born February 4th 1973 in Canberra

·        recruited from Ainslie, ACT

·        Essendon 1992-07 (253 games/343 goals)

AFL Awards

·        All Australian 95, 96, 00, 01, 03

·        Brownlow Medal 96

·        Norm Smith Medal 00

·        International Rules 00 (captain), 04

·        Jim Stynes Medal 00

Club Awards

·        Essendon Best and Fairest 94, 95, 96, 03, 07

·        Essendon Captain 98-05

·        Essendon premiership side 93 & captain 00

·        Essendon 3rd all time greatest player

·        Anzac Medal 00, 03, 04

 
Glenn Archer
 
  • Born March 24th 1973
  • Recruited from Noble Park
  • North Melbourne 1992-07 (311 games/ 143 goals)

AFL Awards

  • Norm Smith Medal 96
  • All Australian 96, 98, 02
  • Most Courageous player 98, 99, 02, 03, 05, 06
  • State of Origin 98
  • AFL Life member

Club Awards

  • North Melbourne premiership side 96 & 99
  • North Melbourne Team of the Century (back pocket)
  • North Melbourne’s Shinboner of the Century
  • North Melbourne Games Record holder