Worsfold rules out drastic changes - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Worsfold rules out drastic changes

By Justin Chadwick 22/06/2008 01:29:07 PM Comments (0)

West Coast coach John Worsfold has ruled out making drastic changes to his AFL playing squad in the wake of Saturday night's 135-point flogging by Geelong.

The Eagles have posted just two wins in 13 rounds of football but Worsfold refused to put his players on the chopping block.

"You don't make hard decision all of a sudden," Worsfold said.

"So if you are asking me if we are going to sack someone tomorrow ... no, that won't be the case.

"Our squad is a young, developing squad with some senior players that aren't in great touch but they've got very strong character and they will be a big part of us learning throughout the rest of this year and pushing forward."

On what proved to be a dark day for the Eagles, tagger Adam Selwood was kept in hospital for observation after sustaining a throat injury in an off-the-ball incident with Cats forward Steve Johnson.

Selwood suffered a bruised larynx and is an unlikely starter for Friday night's clash against Hawthorn.

And in a further blow, defender Beau Waters is expected to miss the rest of the season after dislocating his elbow while playing for Claremont in the WAFL.

Waters underwent surgery on Saturday night.

"He won't play AFL again this year," Worsfold said of Waters.

Worsfold was again forced to defend allegations the club was tanking.

"I can't control what outsiders want to make up because that's all they're doing, they're inferring," he said.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson leapt to West Coast's defence when the topic was raised.

"I didn't sense it," Thompson said.

"I dont think John Worsfold would ever do it and I certainly, no matter what position I'd ever be in, I would never, ever go out to lose a game of footy."

Worsfold said the loss to Geelong - the Eagles' second heaviest loss in their 22-year history - would not dent the club's resolve in their bid to taste premiership success in the near future.

"It doesn't shake my belief at all. All it does is give us good teaching points going forward," he said.

"I played in a game where we kicked one goal in 1989 (when West Coast lost by 142 points to Essendon) and two years later we played in a grand final and three years later we played in a premiership.

"So my experience tells me that teams that have got good character can turn things around very quickly."

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