1992: Makes his debut against St Kilda at Waverley Park, joining his father, Allan jnr, and grandfather, Allan, who both represented Essendon.
1993: Achieves regular senior selection and is a member of the ‘Baby Bombers’ who win the 1993 premiership. Nominated for the AFL Rising Star award.
1994: Emerges as a quality AFL footballer, winning the first of three consecutive club best and fairest awards.
1995: Named All-Australian for the first time.
1996: By this stage is arguably the competition’s best player, with Sheedy ranking him alongside Tim Watson as the best player he’s coached. Aged 23, he ties with Michael Voss for the Brownlow Medal.
1997: A chronic foot injury restricts Hird to seven senior games and despite being made captain in 1998 there are serious doubts about whether he will return when he plays just two games in 1999.
2000: Bounces back from injury superbly to captain the Bombers’ all-conquering, premiership-winning side and collects the Norm Smith Medal. All-Australian.
2001: Hird is hampered by a groin injury as the Bombers lose the 2001 grand final to the Brisbane Lions, but he is named captain of the All-Australian side.
2002: Suffers horrific facial injuries when he collides with teammate Mark McVeigh’s knee at Subiaco Oval in a clash against Fremantle.
2003: Courageously returns to football, winning All-Australian selection and sharing the club best-and-fairest award with Scott Lucas.
2004: Publicly criticises umpire Scott McLaren on The Footy Show, causing significant fallout and earning a $20,000 fine. Nonetheless, Hird plays one of his most memorable games against West Coast that weekend, kicking the game-winning goal before running to the boundary and hugging an Essendon fan over the fence. He didn’t receive a Brownlow Medal vote for his 34 disposals and three goals.
2005: Hird hands the captaincy to full-forward Matthew Lloyd at the end of another solid season. Joins sports marketing company Gemba, becoming a director in 2006.
2007: Despite speculation he would retire at the end of 2006, Hird plays on and wins his fifth best and fairest award at age 34. In his final game at Subiaco Oval - also Sheedy’s last as coach - he collects 34 disposals and leaves to a standing ovation.
2008: Hird enters the media with a role as a highly regarded commentator on Fox Sports and a column in Melbourne’s Herald Sun. Speculation he will move into senior coaching starts immediately.
2010: After stating he has “a burning desire” to eventually coach Essendon, destabilising current coach Matthew Knights’s position, Hird then says that ambition is up to five years away from being a reality. With Knights sacked, Hird is again installed favourite to coach the Bombers in 2011, with his commitments as a partner with Gemba the major hurdle. On Tuesday September 28, he confirms a four-year deal to lead the Bombers as a rookie senior coach.
