NEWLY appointed Essendon coach James Hird has pledged to reignite the passion at Windy Hill as expectations grow for success in season 2011.

In his first address to the club since inking a four-year deal, Hird received a standing ovation at the Bombers' best and fairest count on Friday night as he expressed his pride in taking over as coach following the sacking of Matthew Knights.

“It’s good to be home,” he said.

“My passion for the Essendon Football Club has never waned. It is now time for more than passion. We must have a vision to become the greatest football club in the AFL.”

A two-time premiership player for the club, Hird said the club had reached a crossroads, urging Essendon supporters to unite under his guidance to build towards challenging for a 17th premiership.

“I hear everywhere I go the Essendon Football Club is a great club. But I choose to disagree at this moment,” he said.

“The weight of history has strangled us and prevented us from going forward.”

“I ask for you to rise again and unleash the passion and once again be the dominant army in AFL ranks. It is your support as members and attendance at games that will allow us to challenge and build on the history of the past and make us a great club again.”

Hird pleaded to all members of club to work together, with media leaks from the club proving an unwanted distraction for the club in recent years.

“I am here to win. But we cannot win unless we are united. Too many whispers have left Windy Hill and found their way into the media about what is happening at our club,” he said

“If we are to be truly great again, we need to be unified and pushing for the same goal.”

Hird also welcomed the two additions to his coaching staff, former Adelaide captain Simon Goodwin and Melbourne assistant Sean Wellman and said the club would hit the ground running.

“Our pre-season is going to be tough. It’s going to combine a level of physical training ... with a teaching and training of a game plan that will be based on discipline and hard work and a little bit of Essendon magic,” he said. 

“The coaches that are going to join me to ignite the passion in this young group and give them the best possible chance to learn and develop as individuals who make up the Essendon Football Club is very exciting.”

“Please over the next few years get behind myself, the coaches and all of our players [to] once again to make us the greatest in the AFL.”