Former Bombers coach John Worsfold has detailed his time at the helm of the club, revealing key moments after 2017's elimination final defeat that led to him questioning the culture at Tullamarine.
Speaking at Perth Rotary of Elizabeth Quay on the topic of “Modern Day Masculinity” for men’s health week, Worsfold explained what it was like taking over the club in the wake of the Essendon supplements saga, in which 34 past and present Bombers were suspended for the entirety of the 2016 season.
“The players had been accused of being cheats, this was going through a public battle, it was in the papers every day … but they got exonerated in May 2015 [by an AFL tribunal], but the World Anti-Doping Authority took that to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for appeal,” Worsfold said.
In 2017, with banned players returning to the club, the Bombers finished in seventh spot and made finals, but were handed a first-week exit by the Swans to the tune of 65 points, with Worsfold raising questions over what occurred post-game from senior club figures.
“As a coach I was so proud of them. We went into the finals. Some of those I talked about had injury battles the previous two games going into the finals, but they wanted to play in the final in their first year back, so we brought them in for the final,” Worsfold added.
“They were a bit underdone and we were rolled by Sydney in Sydney and I congratulated the players on what they achieved post-game and told them how proud I was of what they had done. But I had people telling me post that, that I should have berated them for losing by 50 points, I should have told them that is not what the Essendon Football Club deliver up and that’s not what is expected.
“I had to wrestle with that. Was I right? Was I wrong? Should I have been harder? Is this what that football club does? Is that the culture I need to uphold, which, if it was, I probably would have walked out then. That doesn’t align with who I am as a leader of men, but we worked through that.”
Worsfold stepped down from his role as Essendon head coach in September of 2021 as part of a planned transition with current coach Ben Rutten.
The 53-year-old coached 107 games for the Bombers, finishing his time with a 44–61-1 win-loss-draw record.