Does Essendon champion James Hird have his own on-field licence to play whereever he wants? This week in ‘Ask the Coach’, assistant coach Mark Harvey answers the Hird position question, he also discusses if there is still room in the Bomber line-up for dual premiership players Mark Mercuri and Joe Misiti and responds to other searching questions from Engine Room members.

Q. Does James Hird make all his own decisions as to where he plays during the game or is he directed by the coach in some instances? (William McIntosh)
A. Everyone thinks James has got a licence, but if I can put it this way – he is probably on ‘P’ plates! He is restricted in what he can do, but he certainly can do a few things and that is the best way to put it. I reckon he will get a full licence in his last game.

Q. Will you tell Nathan Lovett-Murray to stop trying to take hangers or will you let us all enjoy the way he plays for a while longer? We love to see him attempt mark of the year. (Rob Monk)
A. With aboriginal players you certainly have to let them find out about themselves at AFL level. You can never take that excitement away from them because in the end that is what makes them the great players that they go on to be. Nathan is exciting and I think he will grow in confidence once he starts to take a few of those marks and that will give us another dimension in our game.

Q. Dean Rioli seems to be carrying a bit of weight. A couple of times his jumper was pulled up last Sunday and even through he was wearing some kind of support, there seemed to be a ‘bit extra’ on board. However, he still seems to find space and that blast through the midfield in the last seconds of the third quarter was magnificent. How does he do it? (Janaka Williams)
A. I don’t think his weight is an issue – he is always going to be a big build. He plays in the mid-field for the majority of his game time and he is one of the main reasons why we are sitting three (wins) and two (losses) at the moment. He has been able to carry the load whilst we have had the Johnson’s etc out.

Dean just plays in that explosive way and people have got to accept it. Little do they realise how much Dean does in close with the team, which is very much unheralded. In the last half against Collingwood, he was the one who was giving us the drive. So where is his lack of fitness and what is the problem with his weight if he is doing that?

Q. Don’t get me wrong Mark Mercuri and Joe Misiti have been fantastic players over a number of years. If we have a full list do you think we can afford to play both of them in the same team? (Robert Toms)
A. Both Joe and Mercs can certainly have an impact whether it is off the bench or where ever we need them depending on the opposition. They both have football smarts and are very intelligent players, so there is still room for these players. Whilst the game is getting quicker and Joe and Mercs maybe starting to struggle to deal with that, they can certainly still help the team out.

Q. I still get worried when the Bombers are playing in the wet because they seem to struggle with the greasy conditions. What training do the players get to prepare them for such conditions such as the MCG or night games away from The Dome? (Owen Beggs)
A. The last two weeks we have played at the MCG where we have had those conditions that we have struggled with over the past couple of years. I think the team is growing in confidence when they are faced with those challenges and I think the ‘monkey is nearly off the back’ in that way. If we see players over possessing or kicking short in wet conditions, we certainly jump ‘straight down their throat’ and turn it around pretty quickly like we did last week. I think the more we play and train in the wet, it reinforces how to play in those conditions.

Q. Has Ted Richards been fully fit this year. He seems to be just used in cameo roles and after his quick burst Anzac Day I think he should be spending more time on the ground to help his confidence. Every time I’ve watched him play he always presents and contests well. (Stuart Stirling)
A. The great part of Ted’s game is his competitiveness and he is full of courage. Early in your career when you are establishing yourself sometimes you have to go through that scenario of coming off the bench and having limited game time.

It also depends on the influence Ted is having when he is on the ground to how much longer he stays on the ground. Whilst he kicked two goals last week, it is a very tough side to maintain your position. There are senior players that have got a lot more behind them than Ted at the moment. He is suffering in that way and that does happen to players and Ted just has to over come it physically and mentally.

You can ask the coaching panel what is on your mind each week in ‘Ask the Coach’. Enter your question after Saturday’s match against Sydney.