AS ONE beloved Bomber ended his career with typical brilliance, another was elevated back into the senior ranks. James Hird last night left football on a high note, winning the Bombers' best-and-fairest award for the fifth time, and cancer survivor Adam Ramanauskas was elevated from the rookie list.
New Essendon coach Matthew Knights made the announcement last night at the Crichton Medal count, along with the elevation of Heath Hocking from the rookie list and the axing of Mark Bolton.
Bolton managed just seven games for the Bombers this season, for a career tally of 124.
Knights told him on grand final morning he was no longer wanted by the club but said of him "you will not find a finer person".
After getting special permission from the AFL to join the rookie list, premiership player Ramanauskas, 26, impressed while playing for the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL and also in five games for Essendon in 2007.
"To get back to play AFL football again is amazing," Ramanauskas said.
Knights hedged his bets on the future of the playing list, saying he was "very happy with the list" but that "we are going to inject young players into our football right from day one".
In a nail-biting count at the Crown Casino, Hird finished two votes clear of Dustin Fletcher to clinch the medal 251 to 249.
Hird missed five games this year after a calf injury kept him out for part of the second half of the season.
Last night's win was a fitting end to a much-decorated 16-year career in which the Bomber legend won two premiership medallions, a Brownlow Medal, a Norm Smith Medal and five All-Australian caps.
The win puts him in outright third place among the Windy Hill greats, behind only Dick Reynolds and Bill Hutchison, who won the award seven times each.
Hird said he was optimistic about the club's future under Knights and urged young players to seize every opportunity. "If you give your heart and soul to this club and you treat it with the respect it deserves … it will give you great rewards," he said.
Last night's function was Knights' first major event since being appointed coach a week ago.
The club used the event as a chance to farewell Hird and coach Kevin Sheedy, although the master coach did not attend because of an overseas trip. Also honoured were Scott Camporeale and Chris Heffernan, who announced their retirement this week.
with STEPHEN RIELLY
CRICHTON MEDAL
1. James Hird
2. Dustin Fletcher
3. Mark McVeigh
4. Scott Lucas
5. Adam McPhee
6. Brent Stanton
7. Matthew Lloyd
8. Damien Peverill
9. Andrew Welsh
10. Jobe Watson
