James Hird Expresses Frustration with Essendon’s Strategy Following Devastating Loss to Collingwood and Scott Pendlebury’s Commanding Performance

Former Essendon coach James Hird has taken a swipe at his former club after their heavy 77-point defeat on the Anzac Day stage on Saturday.

The Bombers conceded 15 goals in the second half to Collingwood, who dominated the match, especially during the final quarter.

Hird was particularly irritated that the seasoned Scott Pendlebury, at 38 years old, was allowed to deliver a standout performance, facing no significant defensive pressure through the midfield.

Pendlebury recorded a career-high 43 disposals, scored two goals, made two assists, had 19 score involvements, took 10 marks, and six entries inside 50, earning the Anzac Medal for an impressive fourth time.

This performance was a significant deviation from his recent outings, having exceeded 30 disposals in a game only twice since 2023. Ironically, the last time before Saturday that he surpassed 30 touches was against Essendon on Anzac Day in 2025.

Hird expressed disbelief at Essendon coach Brad Scott’s decision to let Pendlebury have free reign in the corridor, where he could wreak havoc with his precise kicking and accumulate possessions.

“Scott Pendlebury is a champion of the game and possibly the greatest player Collingwood has ever had. What frustrated me from an Essendon perspective was his ability to create space in the corridor,” Hird remarked during his appearance on Nine’s Footy Furnace.

“Time and again, he found himself in vast amounts of space with no pressure around him. What was Essendon thinking by giving him that much room?

“Everyone knows Pendlebury plays a corridor-focused game where he defends and attacks from the corridor, but that didn’t seem to apply to Essendon.

“It was odd. Congratulations to Pendlebury on yet another well-deserved medal. You can only perform against the opposition you’re given, but I can’t understand how he was afforded so much space in the corridor where it was so harmful.

“If you’re going to give Pendlebury space, let it be out on the wing. But not in the corridor, as his disposal, execution, and calmness with the ball have been unrivalled for 20 years.”

When asked if Pendlebury’s impressive performance was merely a reflection of Essendon sticking to their structures against Collingwood’s midfield, with limited success, Hird responded bluntly.

“If your game plan is to leave the corridor open for the best player in Collingwood’s history to navigate through, then I question the validity of that strategy,” remarked the former Essendon coach.

Co-host Jimmy Bartel didn’t hold back in his assessment of Essendon’s display on Anzac Day.

“I’ll be blunt—they were completely non-competitive for the last 40 minutes of the match,” Bartel stated.

Things won’t be getting any easier for Essendon as they prepare to face reigning premiers Brisbane at Marvel Stadium in round eight, followed by matches against GWS away and Fremantle. A highly anticipated clash with Richmond for Dreamtime follows.