Tessa Lee, Sports journalist reporting on global leagues since 2021.
AFL Daily is headlined by fresh insight into James Hird's bid to become Essendon's next senior coach, while Adelaide faces a selection dilemma after forward Riley Thilthorpe was ruled out through illness. Hird is preparing a detailed presentation for the Bombers' coaching panel, while the Crows are considering keeping Thilthorpe in Perth until medical staff determine whether his condition is contagious.
James Hird preparing comprehensive Essendon presentation
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has revealed James Hird is leaving nothing to chance as he pursues a return as the Bombers' senior coach.
Hird recently received confirmation from club president Andrew Welsh that he would be included in the club's coaching selection process.
Speaking on 3AW, Lloyd said he had never seen Hird more motivated.
"I was with him on Wednesday night, at an event," Lloyd said.
"The passion, the hunger, the thirst for this job, I have never seen anything like it."
Lloyd said Hird has prepared an extensive presentation that extends well beyond on field strategy.
According to Lloyd, the proposal includes plans covering football operations, player development, recruiting, club structure and the coaching staff Hird would like to assemble.
"He has got a full presentation ready to go. A holistic presentation on everything," Lloyd said.
"If they give him a genuine chance, he is going to be tough to knock off from a presentation point of view."
Essendon's coaching selection panel includes president Andrew Welsh, chief executive Tim Roberts, board members Anthony Di Pietro and Ted Richards, along with executive general manager of people and culture Caroline Monzon.
Lloyd added that while Hird remains a strong candidate, he does not believe Essendon must appoint someone with a previous connection to the club.
Crows weighing cautious approach with Riley Thilthorpe
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says the club will not rush Riley Thilthorpe's return after illness forced the key forward to miss Friday night's win over West Coast.
The Crows remain unsure whether Thilthorpe is dealing with food poisoning or a virus, with the uncertainty raising concerns about exposing teammates during travel.
Nicks said the club would take a cautious approach.
"We are not sure whether Riley's eating something or whether it's a virus, but he went down pretty quickly this morning," Nicks said.
He added that Adelaide would avoid putting the forward on a flight until there was confidence he posed no health risk to other players.
The club is considering keeping Thilthorpe in Perth for an additional 24 hours while he recovers.
Adelaide grinds out important victory
Despite missing one of its key forwards, Adelaide defeated West Coast by 25 points to rebound from last week's Showdown loss.
The Crows dominated the opening half, kicking eight of the first nine goals to build a lead of more than seven goals.
Darcy Fogarty starred early, kicking all four of his goals before half time as Adelaide controlled the contest.
West Coast mounted a late comeback and reduced the margin to just 18 points during the final quarter before the Crows steadied.
Nicks acknowledged the second half was far from Adelaide's best football but praised his side's resilience.
"When we talk about slogging it out, that's really what we went to," he said.
"We came to win."
The coach also highlighted captain Jordan Dawson's leadership as Adelaide adapted to a more contested style after surrendering momentum.
The victory keeps the Crows firmly in the finals race as they now await further updates on Thilthorpe's availability for next week's match.