James Hird interviews Essendon coaching panel, Sam Mitchell reacts to Hawthorn loss to Brisbane, Danny Daley drops Zac Bailey future hint but concedes Lachie Neale likely to leave

James Hird has done all he can to convince Essendon’s coaching selection panel that he is the right man for the job.

Meanwhile, Sam Mitchell has praised Brisbane after his Hawthorn were torn apart on Friday night; and the Lions have made a telling reveal on a pair of out-of-contract stars. More in AFL Daily!

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‘STILL IN THE RACE’: HIRD’S LAST PITCH FOR BOMBERS JOB

James Hird has made his case to be Essendon’s senior coach for 2027 in a marathon interview with the club’s selection panel.

Fox Footy’s Jon Ralph reported in the Herald Sun that the club legend, who previously coached the Bombers from 2011-2015, had a two-and-a-half-hour interview with the five-man panel on Thursday.

President Andrew Welsh, vice-president Anthony Di Pietro, CEO Tim Roberts, football director Ted Richards and people and culture expert Caroline Monzon were in attendance.

The list of candidates is down to four after caretaker coach Dean Solomon announced during the week he was withdrawing from the selection process.

Fellow former Bomber and current Sydney assistant coach Mark McVeigh was interviewed by the panel on Friday, while Adelaide and Fremantle assistants Murray Davis and Jaymie Graham round out the shortlist.

“Hirdy met four of those five people on the panel for the first time,” Ralph reported on Fox Footy.

“It is his third touchpoint with this football club, but I would stay that he’s still in this race.

“It’s way too early to indicate who the favourite would be.”

Ralph reported that the Bombers, while remaining tight-lipped about when their new coach will be announced, have told candidates that a decision will likely be made in the next week.

“Essendon maintains that the process will take whatever time it does, but those four people have been told that the most likely outcome is something like mid-late next week,” Ralph said.

Hird emerged as one of the frontrunners for the job immediately following Brad Scott’s sacking in May following a disastrous start to the season.

However, his lack of senior coaching experience since being sacked from the Bombers in 2015 amid the club’s supplements scandal is a mark against him.

McVeigh, who has served a decade-long stint as an assistant at first GWS and then the Swans and served as the Giants’ caretaker coach in 2022, is seen as the new favourite in a tightly contested race.

Former West Coast premiership player Will Schofield told Fox Sports News’ AFL Tonight earlier this week that Graham, who has won acclaim for his role with the minor premiership-bound Dockers, would be his pick.

“Jaymie Graham should be the man getting this job,” Schofield said.

“He’s an assistant coach at the best side in the competition.

“He’s run pretty close to a couple of senior coaching roles in his time.

“What he’s been able to do with Fremantle over a number of years and their forward line – you’d have to look at their development and the way they play as a pretty good forward line in the competition.”

‘EVERY CHANCE’: KEY LION’S CALL ON STAR … BEFORE HINT ON ANOTHER

Brisbane football boss Danny Daley has conceded Lachie Neale is “every chance” of departing at the end of 2026.

But he and the club remain bullish that Zac Bailey will re-commit despite a monster contract offer from Adelaide.

Neale’s superb season continued in the Lions’ Friday night demolition of Hawthorn at the Gabba, gathering 35 disposals in the 67-point win.

However, speaking before the game, Daley admitted the 33-year old, who toured Collingwood’s facilities before the Lions’ loss to Collingwood last week, may be nearing the end of his celebrated stint in Queensland.

“Not 100 per cent sure, we hope he stays,” Daley told AFL Nation.

“But we also understand that the landscape that he’s in with his kids, he’s got family in Melbourne and Adelaide, that’s why he’s seeking out those clubs.

“End of the day, until he makes his decision, we’re still a chance. But there’s every chance he probably leaves.”

Daley revealed the Lions had spoken with Neale over his decision to meet with the Magpies before being stunned by the Blues at Marvel Stadium last Saturday.

“We probably would have preferred it was the day after on the Sunday, preferably not the day before,” he said.

“That’s the only conversation with Lachie we had around that, and he agreed with that.

“If he had his time over again, he probably would have done that.”

In contrast, Daley believes Bailey, who is weighing up his future after receiving a reported seven-year, $10 million offer from the Crows, is “pretty keen” to remain a Lion.

The two-time reigning premiers have repeatedly upped their offer to Bailey throughout an All-Australian-calibre season, and are set to be able to match the seven years the Crows have tabled.

Daley, meanwhile, dropped the strongest hint yet that the 26-year old will remain.

“He’s pretty happy in Brisbane, he’s putting a new pool in his house and doing some renovations,” he said.

“It all points to him staying.”

Averaging 21 disposals and 1.5 goals a game this season, Bailey was wayward in front of goal against the Hawks, managing just 0.2 from three shots.

‘BETTER THAN THAT’: MITCHELL BACKS IN HAWKS RESPONSE

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell doesn’t believe his side’s ugly loss to Brisbane on Friday night is proof the Hawks can’t match it with the Lions when September rolls around.

The Hawks remain two points clear in third on the AFL ladder despite the 67-point defeat, which all but ends their hopes of a top-two berth for finals.

Mitchell cut a frustrated figure throughout the evening as his Hawks wilted against the Lions’ pressure, making uncharacteristic skill errors and proving unable to contain the two-time reigning premiers’ ball movement.

“We were outclassed tonight – I think we’re better than that,” he said after the match.

“Brisbane are obviously a good side, they’ve won the last couple and are setting themselves again.

“We saw it as an opportunity to compete against the best, and we weren’t up to it tonight.

“But I think we’re better than that, I think we can execute better than that and play to a higher level. And we’re going to need to.”

However, with the possibility of a rematch in September looming large, Mitchell sees the defeat as a learning experience.

And he believes the Hawks would give a better account of themselves next time.

“The first quarter and a half probably felt like a final. It had that feeling,” he said.

“There’s part of me that says we just weren’t good enough tonight, but if we played them again, does that guarantee that result again? Absolutely not.

“We’ll lick our wounds, we’ll learn our lessons, and we’ll be back.”

The Hawks face Collingwood in a Saturday night blockbuster in Round 23, before finishing the home-and-away season against West Coast at Optus Stadium.

Lose either match, and their top-four prospects look shaky: they’d need to rely on two of the Lions, Adelaide and Melbourne losing at least once in the run home to seal a precious double chance.