James Hird has survived as Essendon’s coach in exile having been delivered what appears to have been a final warning from the Bombers board. The suspended Hird and his wife Tania both spoke to the Essendon board at a specially convened meeting on Wednesday morning at the home of Essendon chairman Paul Little, who told the couple they had to allow the club to focus upon its season.

Little is understood to have outlined a more detailed and significantly tougher set of protocols around the Hirds’ public behaviour as part of the suspended coach’s employment agreement with the club.

Hird attended the meeting via video hook-up from Singapore while his wife attended in person. Both were emotional and spoke of how they had suffered as a result of feeling forced to accept Hird's one-year suspension. They also spoke of the personal hurt and anguish at ongoing criticism which they believed had been misdirected at Hird.