Jame Hird has been the subject of media scrutiny for the past weeks. Such overwhelming negative exposure could, most of the time, break a person's will, but not with the under fire Essendon coach.

Former Essendon player Tim Watson admired Hird's outlook in the most trying of times.

"I have because I thought under the weight of what he's been under at some point he would crumble and buckle." Watson told AFL.

Watson, also a figure himself, was Hird's teammate at Essendon and father of current Bombers captain Jobe Watson.

He expressed his views on probable penalties that may be imposed on Essendon and elicited that it would be too inconsiderate.

"My reading of this now is they think it's too harsh in terms of the draft-pick penalties thrown in on top of the individual penalties, on top of the fact they will lose their points," Watson said.

Former player Wayne Carey, who was also in the limelight for committing extramarital affairs, believes that Hird's clear conscience is what keeps him composed.

"It's a real example of where Hirdy thinks, and what he thinks he's done wrong here," Carey told the AFL.

"If you think you're right, or you've done nothing wrong, it makes it a lot easier to stand there and walk out and front those cameras every day than if you know in the back of your mind you may have done something wrong."

"In his own mind he believes he has done very little wrong."

Meanwhile, Bombers assistant coach Mark Thompson said that Hird could have a hard time in getting back to where he is, should a suspension be meted by the AFL.

'He's defending his reputation. If he would lose 12 months, it would be disastrous. But I would think if the AFL knocked him out for 12 months, I would struggle to want to get back. But I'm not the right person to ask about that.''

The AFL Commission will continue to try the case on Tuesday after failing to come to terms and render a decision during the initial hearing.

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