""The body is probably better than it has been at this time over the past two years. The last two years I have had injuries going into the finals and I think barring injury on the training track over the next four days, I will go in injury free. Obviously Fremantle having injuries helps us and not having injuries ourselves is a bonus. It is the first time for two to three years that we have come into the finals series in such good health and with the confidence around the place,"" Hird said.
Despite losing to Collingwood on Friday night, Essendon takes winning form into its first final. It has won eight of its past 10 matches and its last victory was against Fremantle by 60-points. ""It is a whole new series now. We didn't play well in the first half of the season. We lost games that we didn't play well in. In the second half of the year, we have been a lot better and I think the finals will tell us how good we are,"" the dual premiership player said. ""We feel confident that we can win the game. We are not going into the game thinking it is something we can't do. We feel confident we have the players, the coaches and the game style to take on Fremantle and win.""
It is no secret that Essendon has a poor record on the road in recent seasons, but Hird said he thinks the team is the best equipped it has been in a long time to win an interstate match. ""I don't think we have travelled well, but the time we have travelled we haven't had great sides out on the ground. We have always taken a lot of injuries into those games. Against Fremantle last time, Dustin Fletcher injured himself early in the match as well. I think we are due for a win interstate and I think the importance of the game will bring the best out in our players, whether it is played here or in Perth. I think the players will rise to the occasion and playing interstate shouldn't matter.
""We are a club that is always confident to take on any side, anywhere and we always have been and I think that is one of our strengths.""
