James Hird Sounds Alarm for AFL: ‘Talented Coaches Are Walking Away’

Essendon icon James Hird has issued a cautionary message to the AFL, suggesting that without an increase in the soft salary cap, the league could see a decline in quality coaching personnel.

The soft cap essentially functions as a salary limit for each club’s coaching staff and football operations.

In 2025, the league raised the soft cap to $7.675 million, with a further increase of $250,000 set for next year.

However, this figure still falls significantly short of what was allocated before the reductions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

A recent survey indicated that a mere seven per cent of assistant coaches across the league are satisfied with their salaries, with only 37 per cent reporting a reasonable work-life balance.

Hird, who managed Essendon for two seasons before receiving a suspension related to the 2013 supplements scandal, concurs that assistant coaches are generally undervalued.

“From 2019 to 2025, we find ourselves $1.8 million below the figures from that period, despite the overall financial growth of the industry,” Hird remarked on Nine’s Footy Furnace.

“The emphasis here is that coaching and player development are critical aspects of the game.

“We have these players, the most valuable assets in football, yet we are not compensating our assistant coaches adequately to educate them.”

“We’re not sufficiently supporting these coaches. While others may argue they’re being compensated fairly, if you speak to any assistant coach who experienced coaching before the pandemic and is still involved now, they will tell you the environment has deteriorated, and we risk losing many talented coaches from the system.”

“Why hasn’t the AFL addressed this issue? They are allowing capable individuals to exit the game.”

Geelong legend Jimmy Bartel echoes the sentiment, advocating for the AFL to enhance coaching and development initiatives within clubs.

He believes that young players entering the AFL system should receive the highest standard of education.

“It’s crucial to attract and retain the best talent within the sport,” Bartel stated.

“If you’re a club like Richmond, for instance, welcoming ten young recruits, the most vital aspect is their development.

“If recruiters spend two to three years assessing these players, you want to hand them over to an environment that offers the best possible support, which includes coaches who can enhance their skills and accelerate their progress.”