Another Hird has entered the fray at Essendon, with the middle son of Essendon great James Hird, Alex, training with the club, per the Herald Sun.
Hird, alongside fellow father/son prospects Josh Misiti (son of Joe), Tex Wanganeen (son of Gavin) and Nyawi Moore (son of Nathan Lovett-Murray) have been a part of pre-season training with Essendon after the Christmas break.
Thereโs two Hirdโs training at Essendon! Alex joining his brother Tom for a couple of weeks post Christmas as part of the father son James Hird academy
— Tom Browne (@TomBrowne7) January 14, 2021
He is part of Essendonโs Academy for father-son and next generation prospects, ironically enough named the James Hird Academy.
All four of them turn 18 this year and will be eligible to be drafted, either through the national draft or through category B rookie selections.
In the case of Alex Hird, he could be taken as a category B rookie, having played plenty of soccer growing up as a junior.
His older brother Tom, was signed by the Bombers as a category B rookie in 2020 after switching from soccer to train at Essendon.
Both Tom and Alex have played for NPL side Port Melbourne in the past, with Tom also having trialled for English side Stoke City, as well as trials in the Netherlands, before being signed by the Bombers.
Tom Hird has left Port Melbourne Sharks and joined Essendon as a Category B Rookie player (a player coming to the AFL from another sport). He had been named on the Sharks 20-man senior roster and was rated highly by his 20s coach Nick Marinos.https://t.co/OGUFhev7wb
— damirkulas (@DamirKulas) March 5, 2020
Across his 253-game playing career, Hird is considered one of Essendonโs greatest players - a two-time premiership player, Brownlow medallist, Norm Smith medallist. five-time All Australian, five-time club best and fairest and a member of Essendonโs team of the century.
