In the Bombers' final home game of the season, the match gives Essendon fans the opportunity to gather as one and celebrate the brilliant career of the club’s greatest living player.
""Probably in Hirdy’s testimonial match, you hope that your team puts in every ounce of energy,"" Sheedy explained in his press conference today.
And with talk rife over whether the champion Bomber will play on next year, it is obvious that after 15 seasons Hird still has the capacity to amaze Sheedy at times with his uncanny ability.
""You don’t get many players like Hird who play so you try to play them as long as you can.
""He got stitched up last week in the first quarter and then went out and got 20 touches. He went and got 20 touches after quarter time and didn’t even get a sniff in the first quarter. Not many guys can do that,"" Sheedy explained.
""I enticed him as much as I can and if I have failed well then I have failed and I’ll move on.
""I think just get all the fans to write in and get them to e-mail and visit the website and get to the game to get him going on Saturday night.""
Sheedy also took the opportunity to down play the severity of Dean Rioli’s injury, believing he is still a chance to not only play this weekend, but return to the senior side. After playing for the Bendigo Bombers side last weekend, for his first match since Round 6, Rioli was taken off the ground early as a precaution with hamstring tightness.
""Well they just felt that they didn’t want to risk it. He just tightened up that’s all that happened.
""Personally I thought that they probably could have sent him back on the ground but that’s the way it is and he will train tonight,"" Sheedy explained.
""He is a fair chance to play. It won’t worry me at all to play him off the bench in two of the last three matches. I doesn’t worry me at all and that is how I see it.""
To watch the full press conference on Bomber.tv click here.
