Regrets? I've had a few

By ALAN EAST

West Coast captain John Worsfold isn't the team's most skilful, exciting or creative footballer. But he is probably the Eagles' most inspirational, fearsome and aggressive player.

He plays it tough, sometimes rough, always hard and physical. And that doesn't please rival fans. But Worsfold isn't worried about what other people think about him; only what his coach, his club and his teammates think.

We put some questions to the longest-reigning current skipper among the 16 AFL teams as he prepares to celebrate his 200th game, coincidentally against Geelong, the side the Eagles have beaten in two grand finals.

Can you pinpoint the best and the worst moments in your career?

"The best was when the siren went at the end of the 1992 grand final; that was the culmination of boyhood dreams and a lot of years of preparation. It's what you work for throughout your whole career . . . to reach the pinnacle. When the siren sounded, that was it; it was pretty awesome. The '94 flag was obviously just as rewarding, but the '92 victory was naturally the first for the Eagles and for myself and therefore made it very special. The siren goes and you all come together as a group; there's about 80 blokes out there and you try to get to everyone.

"The worst moment . . . nothing stands out hugely, but maybe the 1991 grand final when it was just slipping away. You feel helpless; you feel as if there's nothing you can do. You're watching and feeling yourself losing a grip on the chance to win a grand final. It's a very tough feeling as you try to keep motivated and you throw everything into it knowing there's no next week. But it's a sick feeling when you know it's beyond winning."

Do you deliberately plan to go out and intimidate your rivals, or is that simply a part of your fierce competitiveness?

"I don't sit around and plan to play tough in terms of mental games. My main focus is to make sure I'm fit and can run out four quarters and do a good job for the team. My next thing is that I'll have an opponent to play on and I have to suppress him as much as I can.

"They all have strengths and weaknesses and I aim to target those weaknesses and take my opponent's mind off his strengths; to avoid him using his strengths. I do analyse my opponent; find out as much as I can about him, especially if he's a new young player.

"I aim to find out his weaknesses. There are rules in the game and if it's in the game, then it's fair. I expect to be penalised if I cross that boundary and I have been pulled into line before. But I do believe I play fair. It doesn't worry me if someone suggests I don't play fair; I certainly don't resent that.

"I cop criticism from people who support the Eagles, but generally if they support the Eagles, they like the way you play. You don't expect opposition supporters to give you any wraps. I don't think I've ever been No. 1 on the most-hated-player list, but I'm up there. That doesn't upset me in the slightest."

What about some of the verbal attacks or physical intimidation tactics you've been accused of? Against players like Allen Jakovich, Ray Jencke, Mick McGuane, Winston Abraham and so forth?

"Jakovich was fair enough, that was just verbal; I can't remember the Jencke incident, but the Mick McGuane one at the WACA Ground was a spur of the moment thing. For every word I said to him after the game, he would have given me 300 during the match. The only disappointing thing was that the siren had gone and I should have shut up. But if we had walked another three metres together, I would have shook his hand. I have played blokes physically hard, had the arm on them all day, leaning on them, pushing them around. That's testing the water with them, to see how they react.

"I don't do the same sort of thing to Winston Abraham now that I did the first time; he's more experienced and it doesn't get the same result. I remember the first time I played on him, I kept leaning on him and he kept moving away, so I leaned on him more and he moved more; I got him right away from where the play was; that's where he would have been most dangerous."

There have been suggestions in recent years that your captaincy role plays a more important part at the selection table than your form. How do you see that?

"People obviously make their own judgment, but the only people who can really answer that is the match committee. I honestly believe they wouldn't play a player unless his form warranted it.

"There's been times when I may not have been the best player out on the field, but I've done the job as expected of me by the match committee. I'll play on as long as the club wants me to play, whether it's as captain or not; it's up to the match committee to decide if I still offer something to the side."

You are the longest-reigning current captain in the AFL and you captained a lot of teams in your junior days; does that make you a natural-born leader?

"As captain, I've always felt the responsibility; accepted that responsibility. I try to set an example, both on the field and with my conduct off the field as well. It's the way I have been brought up; to think about the people around you and consider them as well as yourself.

"I try to present myself in a professional way. It wasn't an ambition of mine to captain the Eagles; simply a desire to be the person I wanted to be. But I'm extremely proud to be captain of the Eagles. I've still got heaps to do, to learn. I can always get better and help make the team and the club better."

Many people at the Eagles have often spoken about the culture and character of the club. How do you see that development?

"I feel privileged to have been part of the club since its inauguration and I've seen that culture get built under three different coaches, football managers and other administrators. I've always felt the club had a certain culture in mind but it's been more defined with the current executive; they honed in on that culture.

"I certainly changed some of my attitudes when Mick Malthouse came to the club. If you weren't getting the absolute best out of yourself, you were letting everyone down and that's the philosophy of our whole squad, new players also.

"The national draft sees the best young kids in Australia, but they are all close in their ability and can be taught different aspects of the game. But you cannot teach them to be good people, that's inherent."

What would you like John Worsfold to be remembered for?

"I'd love to walk into the West Coast Eagles Football Club in 20 years time and still feel part of it all. I'd like to be seen as someone who put a lot of effort into helping WA football.

"Certainly one of my highlights was the naming of a room after me at Subiaco Oval. That wasn't done for personal achievements; I felt it was more for what I had tried to put back into footy through the Eagles.

"I'm where I am today because of junior football and the whole WAFL development program and even though I only played a handful of games with South Fremantle, I still feel part of that club and a product of the system. South put a lot into my development and while I haven't given a lot back to them, every game I play for the Eagles represents an achievement for South Fremantle."

Have you ever said sorry to someone for something you've done on the football field?

"Yes, a few times. I've done a couple of things I regret; there's two or three things I would like to undo. A couple that no one knows about; just between me and the players and we're good mates now."