We asked Essendon fans if James Hird should coach again. Everyone had the same answer

Christopher Klose wants to get something off his chest. It’s 5.42pm on a chilly Sunday evening and thousands of Essendon and Carlton fans are streaming into the MCG.

As the sun sets, this masthead stood outside the gates to chat to the Bombers faithful about the most talked about man in footy right now – James Hird.

Lifelong Essendon fan Klose and his son Jordan graciously agree to an interview and photograph, with Chris joking “I’ve got plenty to say”.

So, should Hird coach Essendon again?

“I’m not 100 per cent certain we have a choice,” Chris says, staring down the camera. “I think we should save ourselves a lot of money and not go through the process, just appoint him, let’s get it out of our system.

“If he’s successful, fabulous, we all want to be successful, if he’s a terrible failure, then in three years’ time we start again, and it’s out of our system.

“I don’t think we have a choice, let’s just do it to save some money.”

Discussions on who should replace Brad Scott exploded after Hird’s declaration on Footy Classified – broadcast on Nine, the owner of this masthead – that he wanted to make the downtrodden Bombers “the best club in the AFL again”.

Over the past few weeks, more than 38,000 people have responded to a survey run by this masthead asking if Hird should return. Open to all readers, not just Essendon fans, the survey had 61 per cent of respondents saying Hird should not be Essendon’s coach, about 27 per cent were in favour and 12 per cent said they were unsure.

A follow-up survey, asking respondents to specify their age, gender and if they were an Essendon fan and or member, found Bombers supporters were keener on Hird returning to the helm than those of other clubs.

While only 15.1 per cent of non-Essendon supporters polled want to see Hird back, that figure more than doubles to 38.1 per cent among the Bombers faithful.

For those who confirmed they are Essendon members, the yes vote climbs to nearly 43 per cent.

Looking just at Essendon fans, more than half (50.9 per cent) of those who have supported the club for 70-plus years want Hird to come back as coach, and 46.8 per cent of 31-40-year supporters are in favour. This trend is opposite to that among all respondents, where support decreases with age.

There was stronger support for Hird among male respondents, with 21 per cent voting yes compared to 12.1 per cent among females.

This masthead wanted to chat to Bombers fans in person to see what they thought. We randomly asked about a dozen Essendon supporters outside the MCG if they wanted Hird to coach the Bombers again. The answers were vastly different to our poll findings.

Longtime Essendon fans, Kylene Kerr and her two daughters Kenzi and Marji, all want Hird to be given a second chance.

“We’d love him to come back,” Kylene says. “He’s a legend of the club, and he never really got a chance to show what he could do last time.”

Jason and Darcy Poynter, a father-son duo, are also keen to see Hird return.

“I think with all the news this week, it’s time for a big change and I think that’s [Hird] the right one for us,” Jason said.

“I think we need a bit more soul in the club,” his son Darcy adds.

While all fans this masthead interviewed were pro-Hird, a number were reluctant to speak on camera.

“You don’t want to hear my opinion on James Hird,” one woman says, shaking her head.

Another man is happy to chat but said he couldn’t give his opinion since he was associated with Essendon.

Online, opinions on Hird’s redemption arc and potential return are varied. The internet seems divided into three camps; pro-Hird, anti-Hird and footy fans from rival clubs happy to watch the drama unfold, relieved the spotlight is not on their team.

For some corners of the internet and certain sections of the fan base, the idea Hird could coach Essendon for a third time is bonkers.

Many highlight Hird’s decade-long absence from a full-time senior coaching role in the AFL and doubt his ability to fit into the modern system. For others, the shame and heartache associated with the drugs saga at Essendon – for which Hird served a 12-month suspension – remains deeply raw.

In an interview with this masthead this year, Bombers great Jobe Watson – one of 34 Essendon players banned– said the consequences of the doping saga still weighed on the club, highlighting the disruption and impact on their list.

The desire for the club to reclaim a sense of unity and purpose was repeated by many Bombers fans this masthead spoke to before the King’s Birthday Eve clash against Carlton.

Diehard Essendon fan Brett Templeton says he was initially nervous for Hird’s potential return, but felt inspired by the former Bomber’s pitch for the top job on Footy Classified.

“He should come back and coach again. He’s always been one of my favourite players,” he says.

Lifelong Essendon fan Charles Ferraro is eager for Hird’s return, but is also pragmatic.

“The short answer is [to Hird coaching] yes, but the long answer is, it’s hard to say right now, there’s a bit that has to play out, the club needs to … see what is out there and work out what the plan is and what they want to go for,” he says.

“But I think James Hird can coach and even though he hasn’t done it for a while, I think he could step in and still play a big role. It would be great to have him back and have him successful with the club.

“I feel like he deserves a second chance.”

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.