John Worsfold - Best Hits

Some of John Worsfold's best shirtfronts in the AFL.

[@missyb9438]

Remember seeing him in his pharmacy in Booragoon, dispensing medicine in his white coat and glasses. You wouldn’t think it was the same guy😂

[@getoffthisrocktravel2054]

Yeah in Garden city 🤣.

[@r.cjones1515]

He wasn't just picking off flies, he was going up against Archer, Brereton and Ablett! NO FEAR!

[@MrOzgooner]

Yeah no fear especially when you take drugs to build your muscles...just look at that eagles team of the 90's...

[@robery4008]

All legal too

[@nahmate-]

@@MrOzgooner just because you have shithouse genetics doesn't mean you can try and bring others down to your belly fat level.

[@frankmat]

@@MrOzgooner LOL this old fallacy. Mick Malthouse was the first one to introduce professionalism and weight training into the AFL... when other clubs didn't even give it a second thought and spent their off days eating pies and drinking beer. I can't remember which AFL player it was... but he asked Guy McKenna how the hell the Eagles players got so big.. and McKenna told them they did these 3 heavy weight sessions a week... and the player couldn't believe it as their club did about 10 mins of weights a week back in the early 90s. You look at the video of the Eagles players in the 90s... and they don't look any bigger than most of the players in the AFL today.

[@jerseyforhawks]

Tough hits, now the 'Buddy Bump' is outlawed via suspension.....

[@coldark9972]

You know it's big if Archer is struggling

[@markshaggy7914]

That last one against Ablett snr was TOUGH. Also the way he smacked brereton straight on the chin is quite hilarious... & brutal.

[@StuAus]

Ablett could be dirty too, he saw it coming and put the elbow up from a long way out 😆😆

[@shyyou93]

He used to go after the tough guy on the other teams, loved the Archer one as well

[@twomindz79]

Kinda doesn't really count as dermie was playing for a free.

[@twomindz79]

@@StuAus Ablett was dirty. Every week he charged someone.

[@BigRamifications]

The huge unflinching bump on a rampaging Gary Ablett @1:53 is proof positive that Worsfold was the real deal. None harder. But what in blazes was Gary attempting? He way overcooked his raised elbow on Woosha. That was **most** unusual coming from one of the most skilful and elbow-raisingest players of his generation. Part of me thinks that he pulled out at the last moment by continuing to raise his arm - that even Gary thought wielding an elbow was taking it too far in this instance[?]. I dunno. I've never seen Gary do anything quite like that. Regardless, out of all the big hits in this clip, some of which would be considered dirty looking thru today's eyes, that was the fairest and most courageous of the lot, and quite possibly the hardest. Ablett was a solid ball of gristle and muscle and had a fearsome reputation of being tough in the clinches.... and he certainly wasn't averse to using dirty tactics. The "raised elbow when he knew he was gonna be crunched" was one of his specialties and I'm 99% sure Woosha saw it coming [or knew something like it would be coming, at the very least!] and had time to flinch, should he be so inclined. Would love to see 5-10secs of the aftermath. I remember the bump but can't recall what happened next, ie. how quickly Gazza dusted himself off after being well and truly sat on his ass.

[@wce05308]

BigRamifications I remember it well they both just dusted themselves off and kept playing. No melees no fights just two hard bastards going at it.

[@robery4008]

Like father like son.

[@holly17823]

Worsfold was the hardest bastard going round when AFL was played by men and the rules were the traditional hard AFL!

[@joesilk6989]

If Archer was dazzed, thats a massive hit. Plus for all of those contested balls, he actually was first to the footy.

[@smoothbeak]

0:55 It's funny how the commentator says "they were both going for the footy" because these days the match review would definitely say that Worsefold was not going for the footy, but the man :P I mean it just shows how interpretations have changed so much.

[@dylan6480]

what i loved about this was other than the second last, i think his eyes were on the ball even though he had the intent to hammer whoever got in his way, what a legend, i miss players like these but that said most would get suspended for so called "reckless contact" but FOR FUCK SAKE thats what makes our game harder than the rest

[@JohnnyBravoNitro]

The Hardest Man in Football ever

[@peterfreeman1585]

Sniper

[@johntimmins1393]

@@peterfreeman1585 While the other player had an eye for the ball only, Worsfold only went for the man, you can find people in every bar in the country

[@peterfreeman1585]

@johntimmins1393 Sounds like you agree with my comment. I'm not sure about the last part of your post viz "you can find people in any bar in the country", it seems to be truncated. Is there something I've missed?

[@johntimmins1393]

@@peterfreeman1585 i cetainly do agree, i meant to say you can find blokes in any pub to take bodies out in that manner as its not a skill like ball mastery is

[@CaptainHowdy187]

Fuckin' A right! One of the biggest snipers to ever play the game!

[@vodeankandosii3982]

My coach once told me, never put your head where your backside will go first. - John Worsfold

[@harrypenhall3722]

Actual hard hits here, no coward punches like other 'hard' men from this era

[@hanajinks1044]

How is lining a bloke up from 30 yds away and running thru hom not cowardly?

[@twomindz79]

@@hanajinks1044 Do you ever follow the game? All those were in the rules .

[@hanajinks1044]

@@twomindz79 Umm, actually they weren't, and I've been doing a lot of thinking about this recently. When l was a kid in the early 70s and just getting into the game, there was a Rule about "Charging" l asked older people what it was and no one could give a straight answer, mostly l suspect now because it wasn't part of the game. Then for some reason, when it started happening thru guys like Worsfold it wasn't policed properly. I don't really watch it anymore but the one Stewart did against Richmond wasn't a Shepherd but a Charge - five weeks in my book.

[@jpw5029]

Woosha got Ablett good, knew that elbow was comming.

[@frankmat]

Yup notice how the first thing Ablett did was put his elbow up to hit Woosha in the face... but instead ended up getting smashed himself

[@chrisserong4966]

Seeing as Woosha had a habit of collecting blokes who couldn’t defend themselves, would have been only fair if Ablett’s elbow had have connected. Dang

[@russdy1982]

@@chrisserong4966 lmao couldn’t defend himself… well he did… he saw worsfold coming… meeting front-on, no blindside… and lifted his elbow like the dirty weak prick he is.

[@chrisserong4966]

@@russdy1982 Yeah coz Worsfold was such a cleanskin wasn’t he… not dirty at all 🤫

[@chrisserong4966]

@@russdy1982 Worsfold deserved a lot more than what he copped here. King of the cheap shot

[@russdy1982]

@@chrisserong4966 pffft Woosh reported once in his playing career…. I’d say that speaks to him being a ‘fair’ player, at least according to the umpires. If you want cheap shot see also Ablett on Pyke GF ‘92. The one where west coast won the flag and Ablett did sweet F/all, not to be confused with ‘94 where the cats also got pumped and Ablett did nothing again! Real big game player wasn’t he? He shat himself in 92 when Woosh and Langdon came after him for dog hitting Pyke, too scared to go near the footy afterwards 😂

[@derrickg2623]

and his most successful student that was designed to be the modern woosha is beau waters

[@LegendaryGrizzlyBear]

He's my dad

[@robdowsing3361]

He might be a lovely Dad but a sniper😂

[@MattA4B]

Great work Frank!

[@BigRamifications]

@0:38 That hit on Glenn Archer was freaken BRUTAL. Worsfold is perfectly tucked up for the bump as he launches a flying shirtfront to Archer's head. You get an even better view looking down the barrel on the replay @0:53. That'a gotta be one of the most sickening head high bumps I've ever seen.... and Archer gets up! What a he-man.

[@wce05308]

I was right in front of that hit. archer sat up while the crowd was cheering in obvious pain but just smiled. tough bastard.

[@frankmat]

+Jeremy Turnbull I interviewed Archer on radio back in 2009. Asked him out of all the hits he copped which one hurt the most and he said the Worsfold one. He got back up but he knew he was in trouble from the pain he felt.

[@BigRamifications]

+frankmat Thanks for the inside info, that's awesome.

[@bonsouthall960]

It's similar to the Milburn-Silvagni hit; Woosha's not going for the ball only for the decapitation.

[@jasonbowman8698]

hard as nails this bloke glad he's at the dons

[@jasonbowman8698]

Bottom line he's not a roach sport scientist like dank

[@jasonbowman8698]

Zrc ha ha ha you wish have a good night

[@tulipolar]

Welcome to Essendon, Woosha!

[@MonacoMcLaren]

players today would rather have a latte with each other than deliver a hit like this. RIP killer instinct

[@Jennatilz1]

.21 seconds in -when worsfold makes you regret stepping onto a footy field.

[@danielmiles851]

Stopped at the lights near Kings Park there's a heavy breathing monster next to my car look up friendly face from your chemist John Worsfold

[@chrisferguson237]

That's great how the first clip is Mark Harvey laying Worsfold out. He got us back though by being our coach.

[@cigerweed]

in todays game, harvey would get 6 weeks for the shirt-front on him

[@bjwal6]

thats one bloody good spoil against the crows

[@peterfreeman1585]

Typical gutless sniping by the biggest sniper of that era.

[@Moza960]

One minute he’s Clark Kent the next Superman 😂 Great player in a great side 👍

[@ghostshipone]

Boom Crash Opera - yes! Where are you Sandy?

[@bazmace]

Boom crash opera!

[@WonsPhreely]

Wooshaa!

[@markbeale8635]

Millane bump on Michael werner 1990😣😣

[@muztard]

There's a chap going around at the moment by the name of Beau Waters and I'd suggest he may like a word with you regarding this statement...

[@Simmo87]

There's a couple of bad ones here (Brown, Brereton, mayyyybe Archer) but most are fair play and no frees by today's rule interpretations. Speaks to good technique.

[@Gr8mate13]

That hit on Bereton is awesome , its a pity John cant coach his team to play hard arsed football lik ehe used , he has turned them into a pack of lazy , soft gutless wonders and Im an Eagles supporter

[@gerardleahy8086]

Byron Pickett was umpires out of the game for exact same thing

[@romeshselvanayagam9727]

Worslfold and Byron Pickett were the best at giving shirtfronts

[@scrappy5011]

Yeah when the other guy wasn't looking.Both weak as piss...

[@TheAlmightyClipse]

@@scrappy5011 Who gives a fuck mate. That's the cunts' on the receiving ends problem for not keeping his head on a swivel.

[@peterfreeman1585]

Byron Pickett biggest cowardly sniper I've seen, Worsfold not far behind.

[@kayjay1791]

@frankmat notice how thats against the rules and abletts still got poleaxed

[@mandoggydogg2262]

That's probably where Pickett learnt his trade

[@mortz101]

@jcrubers unstoppable force meeting an immovable object

[@markbeale6212]

try that shit with lockett...haha

[@11scottjw]

back then yes today no. He'd have got time for the Wright & Archer hits. Probably a sad indication of AFL as opposed to the hits themselves.

[@romeshselvanayagam9727]

Worsfold cleaning up Arch now not players were able to do that

[@windnutt]

love watching the good old days of footy...todays game isnt much better then soccer where players take dives and roll around on the ground after being touched up a little. R.I.P tough men of AFL

[@jamishep]

Great hard man Woosha was. Clean skills and hard at the ball. But how ironic that Essendon, after their drugs scandal, have appointed a pharmacist as coach ☺

[@peterfreeman1585]

Not hard - he was a gutless sniper.

[@frankmat]

1:42

[@Jennatilz1]

That's OK, many Geelong supporters have trouble understanding basic English, I forgive you.

[@leftfield5914]

Fuck glen archer is tough Way tougher then Woosher He just got up and shook his head when his brain had been rattled fuck that would of hurt but not even a grimace

[@frankmat]

I interviewed Archer when I worked in radio and asked him about the hardest hit he ever had on the footy field. He said that hit by Worsfold was the hardest he had ever been hit and that he was trying to get up to show he wasn't hurt but was in agony. He gave them out as well.

[@dylan6480]

except for the hit on the collingwood guy he is looking at the ball, when he hit archer he was in a position to mark and his head was facing the ball direction, when he hit the adelaide guy, he was watching the ball as he punched it, the hit on the docker, he is once again looking and going for the footy, even in the melbourne one he wasnt staring at the player, the one on the hawk, he had the ball so woosha had every right to smack him, and then ablett, nothing to say but he got made piss

[@ih8ppunk]

hm thought he was a swan then but thanks

[@Dr_Footbrake]

Wtf was Ablett doing lol

[@BigRamifications]

+GRAHAM ELY Gary is still my all time favourite player, but jeez he was **dirty**. The "raised elbow when he knew he was gonna be crunched" was one of his specialties, but I agree with your "WTF?" comment.... Ablett way overcooked it @1:53. That was **most** unusual coming from one of the most skilful and elbow-raisingest players of his generation. Part of me thinks that he pulled out at the last moment by continuing to raise his arm - that even Gary thought wielding an elbow was taking it too far in this instance[?]. I dunno. I've never seen Gary do anything quite like that. Would love to have seen 5-10secs of the aftermath. I remember the bump but can't recall what happened next, ie. how quickly Gazza dusted himself off after being well and truly sat on his ass.

[@dirtgames13]

IKR! Made them look like a bunch of fruit loops! xD

[@SpivWiggins]

Easy to be hard when you're on steroids, except down there...

[@nahmate-]

Smell that?? It's the shit coming out of your mouth.

[@ih8ppunk]

Wheres the one where he smashed dermott brereton?

[@scoldedcat]

Good but not as good as Byron Pickett.

[@pilgrimage1983]

Cowardly hit on Archer, and don't even attempt to justify it as a good hit.

And this bellend Tony Abbot thinks he is going to do this to Putin? What a colossal anus of a man

[@BigRamifications]

+Dan S Ease up there, tiger.

[@johntimmins1393]

No skill required

[@dylan6480]

theyre no different to any other team. this hole ducking bullshit, is just bullshit, even the umpires manager and adelaide coach said the frees were there so they got paid, a player has the right to try and evade or shrug a tackle.

[@scottywilso]

Worsfold was a thug, they were all cheap hits. He is a disgrace

[@leftfield5914]

True archer didn’t see it coming What’s there to be proud about? Cleaning up a bloke who isn’t looking rather then going the ball? Lol that isn’t “hard” or “tough” lol it’s fuckin piss weak cowardice thuggery

[@chrisserong4966]

Well said. Nothing tough about these cheap shots mostly on blokes who couldn’t defend themselves coz they were playing the ball

[@chrisserong4966]

Glenn Archer was 10 times tougher

[@Simmo87]

There's a couple of bad ones here (Brown, Brereton, mayyyybe Archer) but most are fair play and no frees by today's rule interpretations. Speaks to good technique.

[@Simmo87]

There's a couple of bad ones here (Brown, Brereton, mayyyybey Archer) but most are fair play and no frees by today's rule interpretations. Speaks to good technique.