A “disappointed” James Hird has congratulated his “great friend” Mark McVeigh on winning the Essendon coaching job.

McVeigh is set to present to the Bombers board, including ex-teammate turned president Andrew Welsh, one final time on Monday before being unveiled this week.

Hird, meanwhile, has vowed to move on and even consider joining one of the clubs he says has contacted him about a role.

McVeigh won his first full-time AFL senior coaching post in a race notably featuring Hird as well as Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham and Adelaide coaching director Murray Davis.

“Firstly congratulations to Mark, a great friend of mine and very proud of him that he’s going to be named the coach,” Hird said on Sunday night.

“So good on him.

“From a personal point of view, though, it’s very disappointed. I’m disappointed. I put my heart and soul into the effort but obviously fell short and that’s the way it goes.”

Hird said as of Sunday night he had not yet been contacted by Essendon about the outcome, instead indicating he had learned via the media reports.

“But maybe that’s coming,” he said of a call from his ex-club.

The prospect of Hird and McVeigh teaming up together at the Bombers had been mentioned in some circles — but, Hird said, “not with me”.

Indeed, the Port Melbourne VFL coaching director said it is “time to move on, do other things”.

“But as I said congratulations to Mark. He’s been a coach for about 15 years after leaving as a player,” Hird said on Footy Furnace.

Hird, in contrast, has spent only a few months in the AFL system — coincidentally as an assistant working under McVeigh during the latter’s time as GWS caretaker — since leaving Essendon in late 2015.

Hird launched his campaign for the Essendon job openly declaring he only had a desire to lead his former club back up the ladder.

But he has now claimed to have fielded multiple calls from other clubs and said he still has a desire to coach.

“I think so,” Hird said.

“Obviously down at Port Melbourne at the moment and we’ve got a finals series to play.

“We’ll see what plays out at the end of the year with some other clubs that have been contacting me and see what happens.”

Asked directly about an AFL coaching job, Hird appeared to acknowledge he might struggle to win a position after being “knocked back” by Essendon in 2022 for Brad Scott and 2026 for McVeigh.

“I’ve failed twice (laughs). Let’s see what happens,” he said.

The Bombers lost their season finale against Port Adelaide earlier on Sunday to secure the wooden spoon and a slice of unwanted club history.

Their 2-21 record is now a clear worst ever result, surpassing 1933 (2-16) and the 2016 top-ups season (3-19).

McVeigh proved his credentials in helping Sydney to a top-two finish, after previously serving as backline coach for the Giants and Swans in their runs to the 2019 and 2024 grand finals respectively.

He swapped clubs at the end of 2022 after his stint as GWS caretaker.

It remains unclear if he will stick with Sydney for the upcoming finals or depart immediately to get to work with Essendon ahead of a busy trade period and draft.

Former captain Zach Merrett is likely to depart, as is injury-cursed defender Jordan Ridley.

There have also been question marks this season around Darcy Parish and former first-round draft pick Elijah Tsatas, who has remained out of favour under Solomon as he was repeatedly under former coach Brad Scott.