West Coast player revolt erupts amid calls for Oscar Allen to step down as captain

The Eagles have revolted after skipper Oscar Allen took a hard stance following his secret meeting with an AFL rival.

The West Coast Eagles have a reported player revolt on their hands after Oscar Allen was encouraged to step down as captain.

The Eagles forward made headlines last week after meeting in secret with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, with the move understandably going down like a lead balloon with club officials.

And in the wake of it becoming public, West Coast chief executive Don Pyke reportedly told Allen that the board felt it was best for him to step down, but ultimately left the decision up to him.

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However according to veteran journalist Kim Hagdorn, the move from the board sparked somewhat of a player revolt.

Hagdorn says Allen refused to relinquish his leadership role before fronting the media with Eagles head of footy John Worsfold where he expressed his remorse to Eagles fans.

But that wasn’t the end of the drama, with the playing group reportedly furious at how the club handled the Allen saga and uncertain about the club’s direction

“I think the players have lost faith in what’s going on and they’ve certainly lost faith in John Worsfold and Don Pyke after how they handled Oscar Allen last week,” Hagdorn told SEN WA Sportsday.

Oscar Allen will remain West Coast skipper. Image: Getty

“ … Don Pyke rang Oscar Allen last Wednesday and said, ‘The board want you to stand down, it’s up to you’. What sort of management is that?

“He quite rightly said (no), knowing full well the players were behind him. I was told the players said unanimously to Oscar, ‘You’ve got every right to explore your options, the club won’t give you a long-term deal, other clubs are offering it to you, go and explore your options Oscar’.

“So he said, ‘No, I’m not willing to stand down’. Then two senior players went to Don Pyke and said, ‘The way you’re handling Oscar is a disgrace. The players are up in arms and the club is to throw full support behind him or you’ll have more action from the players’.

“I think there’s a massive divide between Oscar Allen and the players with John Worsfold, Don Pyke and the board.”

Oscar Allen had a secret meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell last week. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Nathan Buckley defends Oscar Allen for exploring his options

It comes after Nathan Buckley told news.com.au he doesn’t blame the Eagles forward for sussing out his options but said his decision to meet Mitchell was careless.

“As a player, this is where having a good manager is really important,” Buckley told news.com.au.

“I don’t think meeting with an opposition manager around 3pm is a great idea for anyone let alone a captain.

“And that’s where the manager sort of becomes the stop gap between Oscar Allen, the West Coast captain focusing on his footy and what he has got to do now, and the Oscar Allen who is exploring his options and opportunities for the remainder of his career.

“An AFL career is finite it isn’t going to last forever so I don’t begrudge Oscar or Hawthorn for meeting, it is just the fact that it becomes public that is tough on everyone.

“It’s tough on West Coast, on Oscar, on Sam Mitchell and Hawthorn and will create questions in the locker room around his commitment.

“I think there’s so much noise and innuendo that doesn’t need to come out at this stage of any campaign. So that’s why you can’t do it, you just can’t afford for it to happen.

“It’s a real slip up and it’s not to say it doesn’t happen. It should happen as players are entitled to consider their futures but it is how it happens and how public it is that matters and when players aren’t careful that’s where the trouble is.”

Originally published as West Coast player revolt erupts amid calls for Oscar Allen to step down as captain