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Aussie Rules1 min read

What James did next: Hird drops coaching dream to join AI firm

The Essendon football legend has put his coaching ambitions on hold to join a software firm, backed by Paul Little, to supercharge the use of data in sport.
What James did next: Hird drops coaching dream to join AI firm

Essendon football legend James Hird has put his AFL coaching ambitions on hold to join an artificial intelligence software firm, backed by billionaire Paul Little, targeting the commercial sports data market.

Hird was forced to congratulate former teammate Mark McVeigh on his appointment as the new Bombers senior coach in August, after a very public campaign to bring Hird back as the coach was unsuccessful.

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It was published on October 28, 2026 and last updated on October 29, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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