New Essendon coach Mark McVeigh says he will speak to James Hird about returning to the club in a different capacity after a second failed bid to be coach.
McVeigh was unveiled on Tuesday in a press conference that was also attended by a number of Essendon's current players.
Both he and club president Andrew Welsh indicated their desire to have Hird involved.
"I'd love to see James as a part of the club going forward. He's such a fantastic football person," Welsh said.
"I feel there's significant value James can bring, not just tokenistic, but real value to our club and our playing group.
"Certainly, part of my messaging was that Mark and I would want to catch up with him when the time is appropriate."
While Welsh said a pair of calls to Hird had gone unanswered on Monday night, McVeigh said he had shared a conversation with his former captain.
"I love James Hird, he's one of my best mates. It was difficult to go through the process against a good friend," he said.
"I don't fear those people [Hird's supporters], I actually embrace how they feel, and I understand it, to be fair.
"He's been a constant in my life since I was 17 years of age. We spoke this morning, and the way he spoke of how proud he was of this moment for me, it hasn't broken us, we're still together, but I understand and embrace the feelings of the people that love James Hird, because I do too."
McVeigh, Welsh and club CEO Tim Roberts called for unity at the club amid rumours of a potential board challenge from unimpressed Hird fans.
"I don't ask for your patience, I ask for your re-alignment to our club," McVeigh said.
"I sit here year after year, and we get people coming out of the shadows that want to challenge the board," added Welsh.
"I can tell you since I've been here that this club has never been more united.
"These people want to keep living in the shadows and keep on trying to destabilise our club, we don't jump at shadows.
"We're a strong club and we'll continue to make sure that we make the right decisions on behalf of our members and our teams and our staff to get this club moving forward again."
The plea for unity came as Essendon legend Tim Watson has the club's passionate supporters to "put [their] weapons down".
"There's got to be a unification of the club now," he told SEN on Tuesday morning.
"People have to put down their weapons and get behind this appointment of a former player — somebody who has been passionate about the football club.
"This is part of the healing process that needs to take place. Ultimately, it's a much bigger thing than the emotion that might be associated with it now. There is an enormous amount of work to do.
Look back at Mark McVeigh's first press conference as Essendon's new senior coach.
McVeigh says Bombers 'won't live in the past'
Pretty good way to end the press conference from the new Essendon coach.
He receives another round of applause from those in attendance before walking off the podium.
I reckon it's going to be a full-court press on the Dons trying to get Hird to say yes to some kind of role within the club.
"We have great people that we want to get back involved with the club in meaningful ways," Welsh says.
"I look at this as a point that we can re-align that passion."
McVeigh explains what areas he's going to try and fix on-field.
"In the phases of the game, we can't focus on one. If you look at the numbers, we're the bottom of the table in a lot of areas.
"I do want them to be brave, I do want them to play with flare, but we do need to fix up our defence.
"They [the players] need to come back prepared physically and ready to learn.
"The system we'll put in place, you need to understand, otherwise you'll get found out.
"When we get all three phases going in the right direction, Essendon will fly."
"Congratulations to him. He's been an Essendon man all his life. He's loved this football club, that was clear in the days that he played.
"He's had a great development profile if you look at where he's been and what he's been doing. He's been part of elite coaching departments [at GWS and Sydney]."
McVeigh has signed a three-year contract with Essendon and was the unanimous choice of the Essendon board.
