John Worsfold appointment as Essendon senior coach first step towards brighter future

THE man who Robert Walls said was an ordinary coach has vowed to try get his new team to play like Hawthorn.

Essendan AFL New Coach Announcement

THE man who Robert Walls said was an ordinary coach has vowed to try get his new team to play like Hawthorn.

There’s two eyebrow raisers: Wallsy said John Worsfold was ordinary and the Bombers to play like Hawthorn.

To Walls’ credit, at least he made his thoughts public.

Others have doubts on Worsfold, but they’re the kind of people to say hello to Woosha one day and then whisper behind his back the next.

You see, Worsfold won one flag at West Coast and is accused of being a failure because he didn’t win more because tactically he wasn’t advanced as some of his peers.

It might be true, it might not, but his football philosophies remain sound.

Behind closed doors on Monday, he told a handful of players: “To win a premiership, you have to be a good scoring team, and Hawthorn have been the best in the comp the past few years, but also be a very good defensive team.

“Fremantle have relied on being the best defensive team, but have never really built their attacking side of the game up to be a premiership-winning team.

“West Coast have done it really well in both areas this year and Hawthorn have done it really well for five years. That’s what we have to aim to do.”

That was a little drive-by for the Dockers then, but the message was clear.

As for being coach of the team, it’s also clear Essendon want him to coach the club.

The past three years have shaken the foundations and in Worsfold the club sees not a messiah but a leader.

“We gave a pretty strict selection criteria, above and beyond the football tactical, technical abilities,’’ Bombers chief executive Xavier Campbell said.

“We felt this football club is not about a quick fix, it’s about ensuring we have a strong base, a strong platform to build a football club for the years to come.

“We are on a journey together, the whole football club. We’ve spoken about where we have been, this is about we’re we going ... this is really a line-in-the-sand moment for the football club.”

The appointment of Worsfold is the key plank in helping Essendon and its fan move forward from the drugs carnage.

While a final decision is still forthcoming, the removal of James Hird allowed the club to breathe and now the appointment of Worsfold will allow the club to refocus.

John Worsfold meets Bombers fans after his appointment as senior coach. Picture: Michael Klein

With Worsfold comes a new start and new ideas, which helps turn the pages of history.

When chairman Paul Little is replaced by Lindsay Tanner in the new year, the off-field transition of the Bombers will have been completed.

Unquestionably, change has been seized by the Bombers.

And with it comes Worsfold’s vision.

“You have to be passionate, have a strong mindset, have to be self-driven, that’s what I’ve been through my playing and coaching career,” Worsfold told the players

“I set very high standards and l live those standards and it’s up to everyone else how much they want to get in behind and follow.”