Geelong signing James Worpel on why he joined the Cats
James Worpel joined Geelong as a free agent. The former Hawk reflects on why he chose the Cats and the premiership star who made him nervous.
Geelong signing James Worpel said the draw of being closer to family and friends in Geelong was too strong to ignore after being given the opportunity to join the club he grew up supporting.
Worpel, 26, became a Cat on Friday as a free agent with Hawthorn receiving an end-of-second round compensation pick in return.
The 2019 Peter Crimmins medallist left with the Hawks’ blessing and attended the club’s best-and-fairest count on Saturday night, where coach Sam Mitchell thanked him for his 148-games in the brown and gold.
Worpel toured GMHBA Stadium on Monday before he leaves on a roadtrip to Alice Springs and said he was thrilled to be back in Geelong, growing up nearby in Bannockburn.
“It was one of the big drawing points to come back home,” Worpel told Cats Media.
“It has been a busy couple of weeks but I couldn’t be happier to play for the blue and white and a team that I have supported for the majority of my life, I have so many good memories of watching – and probably not so many good memories of playing.
“It is good to be all done and dusted now.
“I loved my time at Hawthorn, I spent eight years there and grew up around the brown and gold and had such good relationships there – friends, players, coaching staff.
“I think it was the right time for me and my partner to get back home to my family and my friends down here.”
Worpel played with Bell Park at junior level and captained the Geelong Falcons to a premiership in 2017 alongside Gryan Miers, who booted seven goals against Bailey Smith’s Sandringham Dragons side.
“I played a lot of footy with Gryan (Miers), so I am keen to reunite with him and hopefully he kicks me the ball a couple of times and I can get a few touches,” Worpel said.
“It was good to play in a premiership with Gryan, it was a long time ago, so hopefully we can get another one. I am pretty sure he taught Bailey a lesson that day, I am sure he has let him know about it.
“I am super excited to play with a lot of players here, it is such a great team and they have performed so well for a long period of time.
“I am keen to add some value and win some games, hopefully we can take it that one step further
Worpel said his phone had been “going crazy” and that Geelong vice-captain Tom Stewart was the first player to message him.
He conceded he had some jitters when he met with coach Chris Scott and football boss Andrew Mackie, and can’t wait to pick the brains of Geelong’s stars, including captain Patrick Dangerfield.
“I was pretty nervous the first couple of times that I met (Scott and Mackie), but they both seem like great humans,” Worpel said.
“To see Andrew Mackie in the flesh, growing up as a Geelong supporter was pretty special, but I am super excited to get into it.
“Obviously ‘Danger’ is a big one, to learn off him. I am still in the middle part of my career and I have still got such a huge amount to learn and to become a better player.“
Originally published as Geelong signing James Worpel on why he joined the Cats
