At some stage, the appearance of James Hird at a media conference in Essendon colours may be a mundane, non-controversial event.

But not yet.

Hird faced the media on Monday alongside another club great, Mark Harvey.

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But the focus of attention was on a third, absent member of the Essendon legends club – Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson.

Several weeks ago, the Herald Sun reported that the Hird-Thompson friendship was “virtually in tatters” following Thompson’s extraordinary performance at the club’s best-and-fairest awards, at which he made what appeared to be a public bid to assume Hird’s job on a permanent basis.

Hird was told by the club not to attend that function and there was widespread speculation at the time he could be sacked because he had decided to appeal against last month’s Federal Court verdict over the supplements scandal.

Despite that, Hird insisted on Monday that he wanted Thompson to remain at the club.

Never mind that the pair has not spoken for several weeks, a key time in the football calendar when the draft is conducted and the list is refined for the season ahead.

“We’re fine – we’ve had a very good relationship for a long time, we still have,” Hird said, explaining that they had both been away on holidays.

Essendon greats Mark Harvey (L) and James Hird, although the absent Mark Thompson was the elephant in the room. Photo: Getty

“Bomber is an Essendon person and he’s been a great Essendon person.

“He’s played a lot of games, captained a premiership team, (been) a great coach at Geelong, he was terrific here (as head coach this) year and he was terrific in the first three years we’ve had together.

“I’d love to see Bomber around the place and I think every Essendon supporter would.”

Essendon and Thompson remain in negotiations about a possible role in 2015.

Hird is confident he will stay Essendon coach, despite ASADA issuing amended show cause notices to 34 current and past Bombers players over the club’s 2012 supplements program.

Hird has served a 12-month AFL suspension over the saga, with Thompson coaching the team this season while he was banned.

“I’m here to coach – I’m the coach of Essendon and I plan to coach next year,” Hird said.

“I’ve been told I will be the coach next year, so anything more than that is speculation.”

Asked if his situation could change, depending on the result of the ASADA action, Hird replied: “Let’s see what the outcome is first.”

The recruiting of Harvey has heightened speculation that Thompson might leave Essendon.

“In some way, shape or form, I was always going to finish up where I started,” Harvey said.

But Harvey, who was sacked from the head coaching job Fremantle at the end of 2011, said he had no desire to run his own team again.

“I’ve had my time as a senior coach,” he said.

Harvey added he had no problems with returning to Essendon, despite the club’s ongoing problems.

“I’m not clouded in any of this – I come in here with open eyes,” he said.

“I’m just here to make sure the club is stable and they galvanise through this time, that we get on with business, which is playing football and winning games.”

-with AAP