Olympic basketballer Mark Worthington to try West Coast jumper on for size

DUAL Olympic basketball star Mark Worthington will try out with West Coast Eagles this week with a view to switching sporting codes.

Mark Worthington

DUAL Olympic basketball star Mark Worthington will try out with West Coast Eagles in Perth this week with a view to switching sporting codes.

West Australian-born Worthington, 29, admitted yesterday playing AFL was “an itch I’ve wanted to scratch for a long while".

He will be flown to Perth this week by the Eagles for a physical and skills training with a view to changing sports under special AFL rules relating to elite athletes.

West Coast has confirmed the club’s interest in “Wortho” under the same rookie-list rules which brought Karmichael Hunt (rugby league) to Gold Coast, Israel Folau (rugby league) to Greater Western and Mark Blicavs (athletics) to Geelong.

“The work-out this week will see where I’m at,” said Worthington, who has been holidaying near Port Douglas with his wife and family since returning last week from London.

“Playing AFL was something I always wanted to do but I thought the opportunity had passed at my age.

“I don’t mean that in terms of being too old but just switching sports to be a mature-age recruit seemed unlikely.

“But West Coast’s CEO is a Bunbury guy I’ve known a long time and they’ve shown a high level of interest.”

Worthington, 202cm and 95kg, had to make a decision between basketball and football when he was 15 and chose the international game because it would give him a chance to compete at Olympics and to “see the world".

Having achieved that and also been an NBL championship-winning captain with South Dragons, Worthington signed to play in Serbia next season when his Gold Coast Blaze club folded.

“If I want to forego Serbia, then I will switch sports,” he said.

“My parents weren’t the richest people going around when I was growing up.

“My mum worked long hours and my dad worked two jobs to keep us afloat, so I probably chose the selfish option with basketball when I had to make the decision between sports.

“But AFL is an itch I’ve wanted to scratch for a long while.”

Worthington said he mainly played as a ruckman and at centre half-forward during his junior days.

“You know, just like I enjoy taking a few shots in basketball, I liked to kick a few goals playing footy,” he said.

“If it’s going to happen (changing sports), it’s going to happen within a week.”

Worthington, who has shown a hard-nosed football-esque approach to his basketball, said he has always had a “mean streak” which may better be suited to AFL.

If this week’s try-out works well, he would start as an Eagles rookie and back-up player, the club excited at what he could deliver after a pre-season.

Worthington played US college basketball for former Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Dunlap for four years at Metro State in Denver before returning to Australia and joining the Sydney Kings.

He was the NBL’s Rookie of the Year in 2005-06 and played in Australia’s 2006 world championship team before being selected for the Beijing Olympics two years later.