AFL

Young Eagles To Keep Improving

Wednesday 13th January 2010

Author: Riley Stuart

Photographer: Riley Stuart

West Coast Coach John Worsfold has highlighted the ability to continually improve as the cornerstone to any future successes of his young squad.

But the wily Eagles’ mastermind has refused to guarantee anything to supporters with season 2010 looming overhead.

‘We’ve certainly done our work on what we want to achieve as a group, but it’s not around number of wins.’ Worsfold said on Wednesday morning.

‘That will take care of itself if we achieve all the other things.’

For West Coast, who finished 11th last year, it’s all about the long-term.

‘I’m confident that improvement will keep coming.’ Worsfold said. 

‘I think the key thing with the group we’ve got is that there’s potential for big improvement year-to-year for a number of years,

‘We’re not going to peak for a little while yet,

‘There’s going to be improvement this year compared to last year, and we’ll be better again the following year.’

Speaking as West Coast trained behind closed doors at Subiaco Oval, Worsfold also outlined his confidence in the draft-picks of recent years to announce themselves on the AFL stage in 2010.

‘I’m really pleased with the squad that we’ve got together,’ he said.

‘The way the young group has been developing over the last two seasons; the young players that we’ve blooded into the team.’

‘They’re the players that you see the biggest change (with) over a pre-season period.’

‘Guys like (Brad) Ebert, (Chris) Masten, Scott Selwood and some of those younger players, in terms of body size and strength were well off the mark,’

‘But you can really see where they’re at now, they are going to match it with most players in the comp now.’

Meanwhile, popular utility Beau Waters is on track to line-up in the Eagle’s NAB Cup encounter against Essendon, just over one month away.

It was revealed by Worsfold that Waters would increase his training load next week, and although the 23-year-old looks set to reclaim a place in the 22 ahead of  West Coast’s 2010 campaign, no one is getting too carried away, given his tumultuous history of injury.

‘I’d say either next week or the week after he’ll start to join in some of the main drills,’ Worsfold said.

‘He’s one that we’ve certainly had to hold back, he’s pretty excited to be getting out there and going again,

‘I think he’ll be ready to play in the NAB Cup.’