John Richard Worsfold

PLAYER: 1986-98

GAMES: 238: West Coast 209; South Fremantle 24; WA 5

PREMIERSHIPS: West Coast captain 1992-94

HONOURS: West Coast fairest and best 1988; All Australian 1988, 90; West Coast Captain 1990 (first semi final), 91-98; West Coast Coach 2003-04.

Sometimes labeling a player as a forward, defender or mid fielder cannot adequately describe his role at a club.  For eight years, during the West coast’s golden era of the 1990s, John Worsfold was it’s undisputed leader.  He had come through the junior ranks as top player in South Fremantle’s colts premierships of 1984 and 1985 and a member of WA’s successful Teal Cup team of 1985.  One of the best young players in the WAFL in 1986 and selected in the Eagles squad for the club’s first VFL season in 1987.  The young Eagles were highly skilled but under-sized and under-muscled in the heavier conditions of Melbourne grounds and Worsfold made it a personal mission to change that.  By 1988, he was the team’s outstanding player and only its second All-Australian after Ross Glendinning.  He was just 21 when coach Mick Malthouse chose him to lead the Eagles in the 1990 first semi final, the club’s first ever finals victory.  Automatic selection as captain the following year and one of the outstanding captains in the AFL throughout the 1990’s.  It wasn’t the only time Malthouse earmarked him for a big job, asking him to stand the mercurial Gary Ablett when West Coast won its first flag in 1992.  Ruthless and ferocious on the field, Worsfold has remained a thoughtful and measured gentleman off it and has made a smooth transition into coaching.