James Hird excited as 'highly criticised, injury-prone' young Essendon star emerges before our eyes

Former Essendon coach and club legend James Hird is excited about his side's developing key-position duo Zach Reid and Nate Caddy.

Reid was the 10th pick in the 2020 draft, but only managed nine games in his first four seasons dealing with stress fractures in his back, three hamstring injuries, a ruptured pectoral, bone stress in his right foot and, on top of all that, glandular fever.

But he has had a clean run at the 2025 season, improving week after week as an intercept-marking key defender.

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Reid had 27 disposals and took 14 marks in his side's win over Sydney on Saturday night and Hird believes the Dons have found a long-term star, if he can stay healthy.

"He's only had one goal kicked on him since round three which is pretty amazing," Hird told Nine's Footy Furnace.

"He had 20 disposals to half-time. There was a period in that first quarter where anything that went into that Swans forward line he was marking.

"Highly criticised, injury-prone, but I'm happy to see that his career is now well and truly on track as a defender and not much gets through him.

"For Essendon to have a 200cm key defender like that in Reid and a key forward like Nate Caddy up the other end, it's pretty exciting times with what they've done with the list."

Hird added praise for Caddy, who was selected with pick 10 in 2023, with the Bombers great loving his ability to cover the ground and burn off defenders.

"Nate Caddy has had a terrific start to the year," Hird said.

"The way he runs is Jeremy Cameron-like, not that we're comparing him. But that's the work rate that gets you to becoming a star of the competition. Running all the way from half-back and taking a mark in the goal square, that is elite running."

Caddy has kicked 11.12 from eight games so far in 2025 as an emerging key forward.

Since conceding 160 points to Adelaide in round two, the Bombers have given up just 60, 57, 75, 107, 62 and 63 points, and Hird believes the whole team deserves praise for its defensive efforts.

"They conceded 160 points against Adelaide and we were really critical of their defence, but they've turned it around and it is a real credit to them," Hird said.

"And now guys like Reid are getting their just desserts."

On the flip side of the result was the Swans, who gave up three goals directly from 50-metre penalties in the first quarter and trailed by 39 points at half-time.

Hird believes these mistakes are a result of desperation, not poor discipline.

"The Swans had a poor first half and then came back and gave a really good effort in the second half, but my god did they butcher some entries inside 50," he said.

"You talk about the three 50-metre penalties they gave away, that's soul-destroying. Three 50-metre penalties that give away goals, and seven in total.

"I think they're desperate to win. There's pressure on them. They made the grand final last year. I don't think the free kicks are as a result of ill discipline, I think they're desperate to make things happen and from that desperation you can do some silly things."

Jimmy Bartel was equally disappointed with Sydney's ball use.

"In today's footy, if you just blast the ball inside 50, you might as well just hand it back to a defender, and that's what they did," Bartel said.

"They've lost a bit of composure with ball in hand, the Swans."

Sydney hosts Carlton on Friday night at the SCG, while Essendon faces the Western Bulldogs on Marvel Stadium.