The Bombers have comprehensively been the best side this season without their captain. Why should the team take the risk of playing Hird during the finals on a limited training preparation after he missed 20 weeks because of a recurring stress fracture in his right foot?

Essendon is aware that the worst scenario is that Hird again breaks down and not only puts his own career in jeopardy, but provides a nasty distraction to his team- mates when they should be totally focused on winning a grand final.

The reality is that since Hird's fabulous 1996 season _ which culminated in his third best-and-fairest award at Windy Hill and a Brownlow Medal _ injury has forced him to miss two entire seasons.

Out of a possible 66 games, Hird has played in just 22 and none since shattering the navicular bone in his right foot in round two this season.

It's hardly an appropriate lead-up to a finals series in which Essendon will start favourite to win the premiership.

Even if the Bombers won the flag with Hird playing on and off the interchange bench, would he have felt legitimately worthy of a premiership medal hanging around his neck?

On the other hand, he is the best player at Windy Hill. No one has worked harder on his rehabilitation over the past three seasons than Hird and a comeback could have provided an inspirational spur to his team-mates to go all the way.

Who can forget the vision of Hird fighting back tears after limping from the MCG to sit on the bench on the first Thursday in April this year. It may have been April Fool's Day but it was no joke that Hird had broken down with a recurrence of a foot stress fracture.

In his 110th game, the 26-year-old was as shattered as the small bone in the instep of his right foot as he watched his team-mates power over the top of the Kangaroos in the round- two clash.

The burden and frustration of being one of the league's highest-paid players and not being able to fulfil his playing contract was clearly evident that night and for the following few weeks.

Hird has had his share of injuries since his debut, but the stress fractures, caused by a heavy work load, have proved disastrous.

Known for its clever recruiting over the years, Hird's drafting in 1990 from the ACT has clearly saved the Bombers from total embarrassment over their choices that year.

Apart from their first selection in 1990, Todd Ridley, from Claremont in Western Australia, Hird is the only recruit in seven other selections to have played a senior game.

Ridley was a bit player in 25 games, but the Bombers got no service at all from Richard Armbrose, John Fidge, Glen Hoffman, Jarrod Carter or Stephen Fry, who were all selected ahead of him, or from Adam Houlihan who was drafted after the Bombers took Hird with selection No.79.

Hird made his senior debut in the first game of 1992, but missed most of the season because of a punctured lung and strained knee ligaments.

He was a member of the premiership team in 1993 despite missing almost half the year with hamstring problems.

Hird remained relatively free of injury between 1994 and 1996 _ his best seasons _ before the Brownlow Medal curse set in, first with ankle and knee problems to start 1997.

Then in round 10 that year he received a stress fracture in his right foot that prematurely ended his season. Last season hamstring problems reduced his input by 10 games, but constant pain in his foot was proving more than a passing worry. X-rays revealed his 1997 stress fracture had opened up and he had two steel pins inserted to strengthen a weakening navicular bone.

Hird's latest pre-season preparation was restricted to non weight-bearing exercises on his right leg.

However, further scans in February this year showed the fracture had continued to widen. The bone eventually shattered early in the April 1 night match against the Kangaroos at the MCG.

New and radical surgery was performed, this time involving metal screws to hold the bone together, a bone graft and the use of a synthetic protein to speed up healing. Melbourne orthopaedic surgeon Julian Feller injected Osteogenic Protein-1 into the navicular bone to promote regeneration and growth of skeletal tissue.

At the time Hird declared he would be back playing again this year, which was not only an optimistic prediction, but it was a rash view according to medical observers from other clubs.

However, after three scans, the latest on Monday, Hird has been medically cleared to resume after complete mending of the stress fracture.

Monday night at Windy Hill was a landmark occasion as Hird wore football boots for the first time since April and trained for most of the main session.

On Wednesday night at Windy Hill he took part in all the drills in a session lasting slightly longer than an hour, which prompted coach Kevin Sheedy to say he would resume this week.

But yesterday Hird said that he could not expect to play at his peak and would sit out the rest of the season. Hird is a talented individual who has confounded most experts by getting this far this year. Luck, hopefully will be on his side in 2000.