Hird – who captained Essendon for eight seasons before relinquishing the job at the end of last season - will take over the role in the absence of Matthew Lloyd who will be sidelined for up to five weeks with a serious hamstring injury.
""It is a common sense decision,"" Sheedy said tonight. ""Nobody would have expected Lloyd to miss a month. Why wouldn’t you replace him with one of the greatest captains this club has ever had.""
""He has only just come back into the team and his game last week was fantastic. This isn’t about what he has done on Anzac Day – it is about what he has done as a leader of this Club.""
Hird’s record on home and away football’s biggest stage is extraordinary having won multiple Anzac Medals and leading the Club to some of its most memorable victories.
Hird is part of the leadership group that sits just below captain Matthew Lloyd. The group includes Mark and Jason Johnson, Damien Peverill and David Hille.
