The coach of the Eagles was the first pick of many in the AFL coaches' 'walking dead' pool at the start of the season. But four weeks in, his side owns a creditable 2-2 record and is easily the most improved side we have seen in 2011.
Much of the improvement is personnel-based. Dean Cox is finally injury-free for the first time in three years and is back to being a dominant tap ruckman (he had 36 on Saturday against Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium) who offers lots of run and carry.
Also injury-free is skipper Darren Glass. He flies under the radar on the eastern seaboard, but the Eagles rave about the presence and the leadership he brings to the side, not to mention the strength and experience.
Daniel Kerr is also back, perhaps not as powerful a midfielder as he was a few years back but he still has plenty to offer; and will have plenty more as he gains match fitness after a slow pre-season while he recovered from the hamstring strain that caused his 2010 season to be cut short.
For all that, we must give Worsfold his due. He didn’t play the injury card last year as his team crumbled to its first wooden spoon and then copped it from all quarters after guaranteeing a few weeks before that the Eagles would not run last. But he must surely be delighted to have such a talented trio back in his arsenal this year.
He has been further buoyed by the return to form of Andrew Embley and Matt Priddis, whose poor form last season seemed to mirror the fading fortunes of their side.
Add to this an admission by Worsfold that he is back coaching the side from the front, after taking more of a managerial role through 2010. This is a fascinating point, as football departments are becoming more and more 'coaching executives', with the coach as the CEO of coaching.
Worsfold - after an internal audit conducted by the Eagles, with his support - retains the CEO role, with a full draft of quality assistants, but it has clearly become a more hands-on role this season, as the team is showing. The Eagles are playing with the same spirit, commitment, and never-say-die personality that defined their coach's 209 matches and two premierships as captain.
This new look Eagles almost pulled off an audacious win over Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday. With the full defensive press stifling Hawthorn’s run and a tall forward line to expose the one obvious chink in Hawthorn’s armour, they were in it to their eyeballs all afternoon.
Even after letting the home team get out to a 26-point lead with 10 minutes to go, they pegged it back to just seven in the end, while causing a few anxious moments for the hosts.
But this is where it gets exciting for West Coast and where Worsfold gets a big tick.
The kids are also delivering. Josh Kennedy had 22 touches, nine marks and four goals against the Hawks. He was the go-to man at the end and almost clinched a miraculous win.
Jack Darling had 24 touches and seven marks. Kennedy is in his fifth season, Darling in just his first, but they’re both local boys and they’ll be anchoring the West Coast forward line for the next 10 years.
Add midfielders Luke Shuey and Andrew Gaff to the mix and the soon-to-be-phenomenal Nic Natainui, there is a structure to build a side around.
A final few words on Saturday’s enthralling draw at the MCG
1. Leave the draw alone. There have always been three possible results to a game of football. Why change? The run home to the 2011 finals, with up to five finals contenders having drawn a game, will be even more fascinating than usual.
2. Front And Square has never before seen two players tear up their knees in one quarter of football. James Hird looked gutted afterwards, given that both Jason Winderlich and Courtenay Dempsey were tracking towards having significant roles for the emerging Bombers. The pair would be among the quickest five at Essendon so their absences will be keenly felt.
3. On the evidence on Saturday, Essendon might be just that bit more likely to be in action at the pointy end of the season. Better key position players, pacier and stiffer defensively. But a finals series with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon all featuring would be, as they say, good for football.
CLUB BY CLUB
Collingwood: Already the ‘greatest team of all’ discussion has started, as it does every year when the reigning premier starts with the same flair as it finished off the previous season. Hold on to your horses. Judgments need to be based after the next three - Essendon, Bulldogs and Geelong.
Geelong: Forget Collingwood, with wins away to Fremantle and Sydney and home to St Kilda and Port Adelaide, Geelong is the form team so far in 2011.
Hawthorn: Buddy Franklin’s better half might already want to start thinking about a dress for the Brownlow. The great man hasn’t been an invitee since 2007 because of various tribunal indiscretions but might already be on six votes this year.
Fremantle: Another one bites the dust - Nick Suban, busted fibula. At least the wins are starting to come, and the character that comes with tough wins is well and truly part of the club's DNA.
Carlton: Brett Ratten took too long to get his forward line sorted on Saturday. Only once the forward set-up matched the dominance of the Blues' midfield, did the the scoreboard start ticking over. This was an opportunity lost for Carlton.
Essendon: Two goals to David Hille for Bendigo should be enough to get him a game on ANZAC Day; his inclusion will meam a juggling of the tall department.
Melbourne: Took care of business at the Gabba with a rare win interstate. West Coast at Subiaco after the bye will be a bigger test.
Sydney Swans: John Longmire tastes defeat for the first time as coach. A surprising result - the Swans usually enjoy a slog on their home deck.
Western Bulldogs: Wonder whether Will Minson still fits into the best-laid plans at the Whitten Oval? The test the observers need to confirm the status of the Dogs is there on Monday - Fremantle at Patersons Stadium.
West Coast Eagles: Still a few weeks to go for the Derby, but the Eagles must feel they have a shot of snapping a seven-match losing streak against Fremantle. Interesting timing for the bye - the Eagles play on April 28; Saturday's opponent, Hawthorn (no bye) play the last game of round five, April 26.
Adelaide: Same old story for the Crows with a mounting injury toll. One win from three games and yet to leave South Australia. Hard to judge after such a brilliant second half in round one against the Hawks.
Port Adelaide: Props to Matthew Primus. Dropped two big names - Kane Cornes and Danyle Pearce - for the Showdown and it had the desired effect, after a dreadful opening quarter.
St Kilda: Robert Eddy, Jamie Cripps and Daniel Archer among those to impress for Sandringham during St Kilda's bye.
Richmond: Finally some respite for the Tigers after a brutal opening month, with winnable games against North Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions.
Brisbane Lions: Aspiring journalist Luke Power made an impressive debut for the ABC Grandstand team during their call of the Suns-Demons clash on Sunday.
North Melbourne: From the Glass Is Half Full Department - three games into their season, the Kangaroos are done travelling to Western Australia.
Gold Coast Suns: Led twice and won a quarter. From little things, big things grow…
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dustin Fletcher (Essendon): Bomber coach James Hird struggled to recall a better game by Dustin Fletcher than that on Saturday against the Blues. Not a bad rap for a bloke who will be 36 in a fortnight, and into his 19th season. Fletcher’s long goal on the run, and his last-minute chase and tackle of Jeff Garlett were two acts of individual brilliance, but he was a star all day for the Bombers.
THE TWITTERATI
“Great finish in the last quarter, really played the way we wanted too! Good result leading into the bye...” - Melbourne’s Colin Sylvia (@Real_ColSylvia) tweeted this barely an hour after the win over the Suns at the Gabba.
“Thought the boys played really well in patches today..... Loved the way they took the game on at times! Can't wait to get into next week!” - Gary Ablett’s (@GaryAblettJnr) assessment of the loss by the Suns to the Demons.
“So sore! But very happy! #sleepwelltonight” - Geelong skipper Cameron Ling (@CameronLing) after the grinding SCG win over Sydney.
IF YOU ONLY WATCH ONE GAME NEXT WEEK
ANZAC Day will be a cracker - as it almost always is, no matter the position of the two teams on the table. You can bet James Hird will have Essendon ready to play. But as we start a fortnight where there are games on more days than there are not, the encore to ANZAC Day will be equally compelling with Hawthorn hosting Geelong at the MCG the following afternoon. Since the 2008 Grand Final, the Cats have won all four matches between the sides, but with a combined winning margin of just 20 points. This is the week we learn whether the Hawks are back at their 2008 level.
