Guy McKenna backs John Worfold’s vision for a West Coast Eagles premiership by 2030 with current re-build

Former West Coast star Guy “Bluey” McKenna has urged the club to listen to Head of Football John Worsfold when he says they can win a premiership by 2030 and remain patient through hard times as the Eagles focus on getting as many games as possible into their young stars. West Coast’s 46-point loss to Geelong at Norwood Oval on Sunday saw them drop back into the bottom four as they prepare to face a red hot Fremantle in the western derby this weekend. But while the Eagles have won only 13 of their last 100 games, Worsfold told The West Australian that he is still confident they can follow the trend of winning a premiership every 12 years by sticking to plans that have been successful in the past. That requires the club to draft elite youngsters and developing them as a group even if it means suffering tough losses along the way. McKenna played and coached with Worsold, then had the tough job of coaching a young Gold Coast team when it entered the AFL, said the Eagles are clearly on the right track. “I’d certainly agree with Woosha. It’s about being patient though because kids take time,” he told The West Australian. “It’s about playing the kids and finding out who can and can’t play. This is the worst period in West Coast’s history because they pushed to the hilt to try to win another flag. But I am seeing these kids now. “West Coast have to stick to the plan. Don’t deviate. Don’t think one player will make the difference. Don’t go and get one player who wants to come back to Western Australia on a pension plan. If a player is prepared to train hard and execute and be a good on-field mentor, that is okay. “But I can see them growing to be in the top four in three or four years time with this young talent.” McKenna said it takes most young players three seasons to understand what’s required to compete in the AFL. But he feels the way West Coast have drafted with a series of early picks means they will all start to hit their peak at the same time. “If you can get two or three blokes in the top 10, that’s very different to only getting one. When you get two or three, you can build a team around Harley Reid,” he said. “You can see the bits of gold. So it’s about keeping them together. The best bit of vision for the weekend was when Duursma kicked a goal and Harley Reid ran up to him, banged chests, high-fived and had a huge smile on his face. “You don’t do that if you’re not invested. And he will know that in another 20 or 30 games, there is going to be a core there. We had a core group of 23 year olds when we won in 1992. But in 1989 we were 2-13 with a team that included a lot of the same young players.”