‘Embarrassed and ashamed’: West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen fronts up after Hawks meeting

West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen has addressed his meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, saying he was “embarrassed and ashamed”.

An “embarrassed and ashamed” West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen has fronted the media to apologise for meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.

Allen is off contract at the end of this season and would become one of the hottest free agents in the competition if his talks continue to be put on hold.

He met with Mitchell in Perth at the weekend after his disappointing performance in another derby defeat to cross-town rival Fremantle.

Allen was almost reduced to tears alongside head of football John Worsfold as he apologised and pledged his commitment to the club captaincy.

“I feel remorseful towards our fans, playing members, supporters, staff – I can imagine how you guys are feeling and for that I am incredible remorseful,” Allen said.

“I am going to continue my role of co-captain alongside Liam Duggan this season, in conversations with people at the footy club everyone thinks it’s the right thing to do.

“I am still really confident I am the right man, alongside Duggo, to take the club forward in achieving some real progress and success this year.”

An ‘embarrassed and ashamed’ Oscar Allen (left) has addressed his meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Allen had one disposal to three-quarter time on Sunday and finished the match with a team-low four.

The 26-year-old took ownership of his form and declared he wanted to be at the club long term.

“I think it’s fair to say, and I’ve owned this, I am out of form at the moment along with some other members in our side,” he said.

“For me as a leader the best thing I can do is play well on field and lead the boys by example, I clearly haven’t been doing that.”

Allen addressed his teammates before the media conference on Thursday and said they had been “incredibly supportive”.

“I have been really proud to hear the support I have from the playing group, clearly I wouldn’t hold it against them if there was some anger or frustration towards me,” he said.

“I addressed them this morning, it was quite difficult, I feel quite embarrassed and ashamed in front of the boys.

“Everyone here is working as hard as we can to achieve success and get better every day and clearly my actions have become a distraction this week – which is exactly what I don’t want for this playing group.

“I want us to get better, so I addressed that and am looking forward to the challenge this week.”

Allen took ownership for his current form after a poor derby display. Picture: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Worsfold jumped in and shut down the suggestion the meeting had been a distraction to the players.

The former Eagles player and coach said the club’s only issue with the meeting was its publicity during a “difficult time”.

“Clearly the distraction wasn’t really on our playing group, it was a lot of public and member talk about it,” Worsfold said.

“The players have been supportive of Oscar all the way through, all week, not just today.

“We understand the landscape of free agency, that’s just the nature, at any given time there’s hundreds of players out of contract in the competition that play their contract out.

“His is not a unique situation but the public nature, we’ve acknowledge it’s not great timing when the team is struggling on field and trying to build our new identity under a new coach … but we learn from it.”

Eagles head of football John Worsfold said he had ‘no gripe’ with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Worsfold said he had “no gripe at all” with Mitchell for approaching Allen.

“Free agency is a real thing in the competition, players have the right to explore options for them to get the best out of their footy career,” Worsfold said.

“Ideally it’s not public, that’s probably the issue, we understand that this week there’s probably been other players from other clubs meeting staff members from other clubs.

“But if it’s not public then no one gets too fussed about it, we know it happens, but this was public and it was at a difficult time for us as a footy club.”

Allen said he would not discuss the “nitty gritty” of his contract or the meeting but denied having any medicals with rival clubs.