Fire in the belly burns for Woosha
Former West Coast coach John Worsfold has confirmed he would be interested in coaching an AFL team again, declaring he was far from burnt out with football.
Worsfold, who walked away from the senior coaching position at the end of a disappointing 2013 season, also delivered a light-hearted but cheeky dig at suspended Essendon coach James Hird as he addressed _The West Australian _ Leadership Matters breakfast at Crown Perth earlier this week.
Worsfold declared an ongoing love for the game that has been his life for the past 28 years and said he would "certainly consider" coaching another team.
"I am not burnt out of the game, I still love the game," Worsfold said. "My wife laughed at me in round one, first week of round one I am on the beanbag ready to watch Fremantle and Collingwood and she reckoned I didn't move out of it until the last game was finished on Sunday.
"I sat there and watched every game. I just watched everything with a relaxed view."
Worsfold coached West Coast 281 times between 2002 and 2013, for 149 wins, appearances in eight finals series, two grand finals and the 2006 premiership.
"I am passionate about the game. I am passionate about the West Coast Eagles footy club. To step away is a massive thing. I had come to a conclusion over the previous two days that it was time," Worsfold said.
"I had a meeting booked with the CEO (Trevor Nisbett) and the chairman (Alan Cransberg) to run through my presentation about next year, which I had put a lot of work into because I was very clear on what we had to do to bounce back," he said.
"That morning Trevor had let me know that Alan had to postpone the meeting, he couldn't make it, and I was shattered because I had built myself up to have the courage to tell them. I was thinking what do I do now?
"I sat there for half an hour and then I rang Niz and I said I need to come and see you anyway. I went up sat down and blurted it out to Niz. It was quite emotional. I had pre-warned my wife. She was about the only one that knew it was coming."
Asked jokingly if he would consider coaching Essendon, where Hird's wife Tania inflamed already strained relations with the club and the AFL following a TV interview, Worsfold said: "James is there forever. He is going to have to do something bad to get kicked out of that job."
"My wife laughed at me in round one … I sat there and watched every game."" *John Worsfold *
