Used in a variety of roles, Bird played every game in a season for the first time in his career and enjoyed his most consistent campaign. 

Lining up in the midfield and also used as a tagger or a defensive forward at times, Bird averaged more than 17 possessions and four tackles a game. 

He kicked 12 goals for the season and laid a career-best 11 tackles against North Melbourne in round four.

Draft history: 2007 NAB AFL Draft 4th round selection (Sydney) No. 59 overall as NSW scholarship holder.

2013 Coaches Call

2012 was really good. He was a really important role player for us. When he played in the midfield he did exactly what he needed to, whether it was to play on their best player or play just as a midfielder, or whether he had a role as a forward just to play on the best backman, or just to kick goals.

Pre-season has been excellent, the best one he’s had so far. He came back in really good shape and has been up the front in the running drills with the Hanneberys and McVeighs and it has been a real credit to him the way he’s come back and the drive he seems to have to become a better player.

We hope in 2013 that we can get him in as an inside midfielder a little bit more. Last year he probably played more as a role player and he’s been working really hard this pre-season on trying to become stronger and quicker and do all the things he can do to become an elite inside midfielder.