James Hird has won nearly every award there is to win at AFL level – a Brownlow medal, two premiership medallions, four best and fairest awards, a Norm Smith Medal, three Anzac Medals, All Australian selection and the list goes on. The captain has also achieved many milestones in his 12-year career and he is on the eve of another significant achievement.

Hird will captain Essendon for the 100th time this week against the Western Bulldogs. He will become the fifth player in the history of the club to do so and joins elite company.

Club legend and the greatest Essendon player of all time according to the Champions of Essendon voting in 2002, Dick Reynolds, captained Essendon in 224 games. Reynolds was skipper from 1939 - 1950 and captained Essendon to four premierships - 1942, 1946, 1949 and 1950.

Terry Daniher wore the famous number '5' guernsey before James Hird and he was skipper of Essendon for 127 games. Daniher held the premiership cup aloft on two occasions as captain - in 1984 and 1985.

Dual Brownlow medallist and club champion Bill Hutchison captained the Bombers for 122 games between 1951 and 1957. Jack Clarke played 263 games for Essendon and captained the team on 121 of these matches. Clarke won two premierships and captained the team to the 1962 flag.