John Worsfold to call shots for Essendon in pre-season hitout against West Coast, Ben Rutten to watch from stands
Essendon’s coaching conundrum between lead man John Worsfold and his heir apparent Ben Rutten will play out for the first time when the Bombers take on West Coast in the Marsh Cup. It promises to be fascinating.
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John Worsfold will be on the bench when Essendon opens its pre-season campaign against the West Coast Eagles in Perth on Thursday.
Ben Rutten, who will take over as senior coach from Worsfold next season, will be in the grandstand.
Assistant coaches taking the reins during pre-season hit-outs have become common place in recent seasons. Brett Kirk is coaching Sydney against GWS on Saturday.
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But for the Bombers this is a signal of what the rest of the year could look like.
“You’ll see John on the bench and Ben will up in the coach’s box,” assistant coach Mark Harvey said before training on Tuesday.
“John is overseeing everything at the moment and moving forward we’ll discuss that as a coaching group and see what that looks like.
“Ben and John have worked it out.”
Worsfold was the last coach out on the track on Tuesday, but only because he had to stop and change his shoes. He took off his runners and put on footy boots, then got in to the thick of the action.
Adjustments have been a big part of the summer at Tullamarine.
The coaching staff are adjusting to what have to be changed roles. Players too.
Zach Merrett has had to adjust to not being part of the leadership group anymore.
He won the best and fairest in a canter last season, has played 126 games and turns 25 this year.
Merrett, one of just three players put in the “elite” category by the gurus at Champion Data, should have been hitting his leadership prime.
Instead his teammates have, by their communal vote, sent him the other way.
Not that you’d know it according to Harvey, who said Merrett took the ego blow “brilliantly”.
“You wouldn’t know it necessarily that that’s happened and that’s a credit to his character. He has taken it on the chin, it is what it is, and that’s the end of it from our point of view,” Harvey said.
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It was ended, however, after Merrett was told why.
“There’s been some sort of discussion, that would be logical. But in his mind he’s moved on, he’s more determined than ever as player to get this group where it needs to be.”
The players have had to adjust to life without Conor McKenna too, if only for the time being.
Then there’s the injury list, which is seemingly growing by the week for Essendon.
Captain Dyson Heppell was still with the rehab group on Tuesday and first-choice ruckman Tom Bellchambers had some minor knee surgery this month.
Orazio Fantasia (hip), Joe Daniher (groin), Cale Hooker (hip) and David Zaharakis (ankle) have all had their pre-seasons slowed by injury.
But Harvey said things weren’t as bad as they seemed. He said the Bombers would make the necessary adjustments and come March 21, that’s the Round 1 clash with Fremantle, Essendon will be in a “good situation”.
“I am pretty sure you’ll see a lot of players available for Round 1,” he said.
“That’s not going to be everyone, but we’d like to think we’d still be in a good position.”
Originally published as John Worsfold to call shots for Essendon in pre-season hitout against West Coast, Ben Rutten to watch from stands