TO THE end, the James Hird legend grows. The 34-year-old last night won the Crichton Medal after being judged Essendon's best-and-fairest player for the fifth time.

James Hird's sublime performance in his final game, the Round 22 loss to the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco, was what secured his fifth Crichton Medal. Picture: Tim Carrafa

It was a popular and emotional win in front of 1000 fans and gave Hird yet another send-off in what has been a remarkable final season.

Hird secured victory with votes in his final game at Subiaco against West Coast in Round 22.

He finished with 251 votes, despite missing five games with a calf injury.

Hird accepted his medal last night on stage at the Crown Palladium to a standing ovation.

"Sentiment got in the way in the last round and got me over the line," Hird said.

He recalled last year and his injury problems and thanked former coach Kevin Sheedy, wife Tania, captain Matthew Lloyd and fitness chief John Quinn for convincing him to play on.

"I'm so glad I did because I lived out everything I wanted to live out," Hird said. "This year, in some ways, has been my most enjoyable."

He told of letters he received from teammates on the eve of his last game and how he cried when he read them.

"Thank you, I'll never, ever forget this club," Hird said.

"I'd have no hesitation, as my mother and father did when they dropped me off 17 years ago, I'd have no hesitation dropping my two boys off if they are good enough."

Hird scored 19 and 26 in the last two games to beat All-Australian defender Dustin Fletcher by two votes. Third place was shared by onballer Mark McVeigh and forward Scott Lucas on 223 votes.

Hird's victory was close to being upstaged by the naming of Adam Ramanauskas as the club's most courageous player.

Ramanauskas returned from two operations to remove tumors in his shoulder-neck area and played five senior games, his first against Geelong in Round 14.

New coach Matthew Knights announced last night that Ramanauskas and Heath Hocking would both be promoted from the rookie list in 2008.

First-year speedster Alwyn Davey won the rising star award, despite missing most of the second half of the season with a broken arm.

Behind McVeigh and Lucas in the best-and-fairest were Adam McPhee (220 votes), Brent Stanton (197), skipper Matthew Lloyd (192), Damien Peverill (183), Andrew Welsh (153) and Jobe Watson (141).

Young defender Kepler Bradley won the best-and-fairest award for the Bendigo Bombers, Essendon's feeder team in the VFL.

And the Daniher name looks set to return to Windy Hill with 18-year-old Darcy Daniher, the son of Essendon and Sydney star Anthony Daniher, nominating Essendon as his club of choice under the new father-son rule.

Veteran utility Mark Bolton is the latest Bomber to retire, after 124 games in 11 years.

Young defender Kepler Bradley won the best-and-fairest award for the Bendigo Bombers, Essendon's feeder team in the VFL.

In other news, the Daniher name looks set to return to Windy Hill with 18-year-old Darcy Daniher, the son of Essendon and Sydney star Anthony Daniher, nominating Essendon as his club of choice under the new father-son rule.

Daniher was among the best players for the Calder Cannons in their Grand Final day victory over the Murray Bushrangers.

Veteran utility Mark Bolton is the latest Bomber to retire, after 124 games in 11 years.

i wonder if people like this guy just write up articles like this and dont have the brains to read over it again just to look for mistakes even i read over my essays after i finsh them

He told of letters he received from teammates on the eve of his last game and how he cried when he read them.

I know. Hird can't read.

It was a popular and emotional win in front of 1000 fans and gave Hird yet another send-off in what has been a remarkable final season.

FOUND IT!

haha pretty poor effort! I'd be filthy on myself if I handed an essay up with a mistake like that let along something that was going to be published in the paper lol

even i read over my essays after i finsh them

Yeah you're a great proof reader mate!

Yeah you're a great proof reader mate!

There's a difference between posting on an internet messageboard and penning an article for a newspaper, isn't there?

He mentions the Daniher boy twice in the same way...

Quite appalling - although as a journalism student, I know I do it all the time!!!

He mentions the Daniher boy twice in the same way...

Quite appalling - although as a journalism student, I know I do it all the time!!!

What course? I'm Media Comm Melb. Uni.

Mr james hird is a legand lay off

The 1000 fans refers to the crowd at the Crichton Medal count, not the crowd at the WCE-Ess game. The second sentence in the story that DD has posted is the caption for a photo, not the second par of the story. Confusing, but it's probably just a function of copying and pasting that text from the news website.

The error is at the end of the story when the writer talks about Darcy Daniher and Kepler Bradley and Mark Bolton. They've obviously written it in two different ways and forgotten to delete the last three or four pars.

Geez you can't half tell footy season's over, when we're critiquing journalists proof-reading skills

What course? I'm Media Comm Melb. Uni.

Journalism @ RMIT...

I was tempted by media comm, but too theory based for mine.