Knights: I'll stay the course

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A defiant Essendon coach Matthew Knights has pledged to 'stay the course' and expects to fulfil the terms of his contract with the club with the full support of senior management.

Knights told a media conference at Windy Hill on Thursday morning that a growing groundswell of support for club champion James Hird to take over as coach was outside his control.

"James Hird's a legend of this football club and I've always had a good rapport with James," said Knights.

"I don't know of James' intentions with regards to life, coaching, that's James' business."

"I really can't control what James is thinking or have views on it because at this stage it's a little bit irrelevant as far as I'm concerned."

Knights said he has a legal, binding contract to coach the Bombers for the next two seasons and he expects that contract to be honoured.

"In all my discussions with (president) David (Evans) and (CEO) Ian (Robson) who are men of integrity and the board of the Essendon Football Club, I thoroughly believe they've got full faith in me moving forward," he said.

"They've given me no other reason to think otherwise."

"They've indicated even in the last month or so that they want to stay the course and see this thing through."

"So, from my perspective it's stay the course, get out there on the grass today, work with the players, we've got two games to win, and then we'll go from there."

Knights said he hadn't spoken to Hird since the 1996 Brownlow Medalist flagged his interest in coaching the Bombers through the media on Tuesday.

Hird is perceived in some quarters as a potential saviour for the club which has fallen on relative hard times in Knights' three seasons in charge.

Coming off heavy losses to arch rivals Carlton and Collingwood, the Bombers are 13th on the ladder with a 7-13 record with two rounds to play after finishing 12th and eighth the previous two seasons.

"I haven't spoken to James in the last 24 to 48 hours," said Knights.

"I don't feel the need to ring James."

"James has always been a supporter of the Essendon Football Club, a legend of the club and a supporter of mine as the coach."

"If James wants to coach the Essendon Football Club at some stage then he's got every right to put his hand up and go for it ... but I'm not sure whether he wants to coach or not."

Asked whether he had the support of his players, Knights said: "I don't feel I need support from the players in a sympathy sense."

"It's a bit like junk food, it's not nutritious."

"Their support to me is by the way they're talking about improving and getting better next season and the way they want to attack the off-season and what they want to get out of the last two weeks."

"That's their support."

Knights said season-ending knee injuries to Ricky Dyson and David Zaharakis means there'll be at least two forced changes for Sunday's clash with the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium.

Dyson is set to undergo an arthroscopy while Zaharakis strained a lateral ligament when tumbled into by Dane Swan during last Friday night's match against Collingwood at the MCG.

Knights said the club was unlikely to take any risks with veteran Dustin Fletcher (hamstring) or midfielder Jason Winderlich (broken hand), both of whom missed the loss to the Magpies.

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