Essendon premiership great Kevin Sheedy has declared he won’t change his mind on supporting his former captain James Hird to once again coach the struggling AFL club.

Sheedy was the lone backer on the Bombers board when Hird last went for the coaching role in 2022 but the situation has changed now after he left his post two years later.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kevin Sheedy bites back in blunt James Hird exchange

Hird went large in public as part of his latest bid to return to the role but has camp has since delivered him a “subtle message that the political campaign probably has got to stop”.

“(Former president) Paul Little, Kevin Sheedy, other ex-teammates tweeting by the day,” Caroline Wilson said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.

“It’s quite extraordinary the way it’s been carried on ... I don’t believe it’s been necessarily good for James Hird. And I think Essendon would rather it stop too.”

Hird sat down with Essendon powerbrokers, including former teammate turned club president Andrew Welsh, on Tuesday for his latest job interview.

And on that day Sheedy again voiced his support for his champion captain in a brief exchange on Triple M’s The Rush Hour with JB & Billy.

Billy Brownless: “Kevin, are you blinded by your love for James Hird and (should you) be involved in any coaching process at the club?”

Sheedy: “Well, I’m not. I’m an Essendon supporter now and I have my opinion like you have your opinion.”

Billy: “Should he coach Essendon?”

Sheedy: “I picked that four years ago and I won’t change my mind.”

Billy: “He’s been there before, it didn’t work.”

Sheedy: “Nah, that’s not right. He made the finals. We got kicked out. We gave it to Carlton.”

Billy: “Alright... so you do love James Hird.”

Sheedy: “I think he’s a very good person, and I think everybody deserves a second chance and I believe that he’d be the right person for Essendon. But that’s only my opinion. I don’t need to sway everybody but if you listen to my reasonably good knowledge, I think it’d be a good decision.”

Essendon made the finals in Hird’s first year in charge in 2011, finishing eighth on the ladder before losing in the first week to Carlton.

But Sheedy’s answer only referenced the 2013 season and the historic punishments handed down by the AFL following the supplements saga.

The Bombers were seventh on the ladder with one round remaining when they were kicked out of the finals and fined $2 million, while Hird was banned for a year.

He returned to coach the team in 2015 but failed to see out the season, leaving in August after recording just five wins from their first 19 games.

Hird’s desire to coach Essendon again from 2027 loomed large over the start of the club’s search.

Sacked Essendon coach Brad Scott and potential applicant Ken Hinkley both sounded the alarm over his presence, with the latter ultimately declining to join the race.

Available premiership coaches Adam Simpson and John Longmire also opted against throwing their hat into the ring.

Hird is, for now, up against a slew of assistants hoping for their first shot at the big time: Hayden Skipworth (Collingwood), James Kelly (Geelong), Corey Enright (St Kilda), Jaymie Graham (Fremantle) and Mark McVeigh (Sydney).

Speaking on The Agenda Setters, Wilson said she does not expect Hird to win the race but noted 7NEWS chief football reporter Mitch Cleary’s update that some senior leaders at the club are more positive than they were six weeks ago.

Tom Morris said he is also aware of board support for Hird — but it remains to be seen whether there is enough to get the job.