The 1-4 West Coast square off against the 4-1 Fremantle on Sunday, with the sides’ contrasting starts to the season launching Fremantle into raging favouritism.
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has a 5-0 record in derbies, and the club has won seven of the last eight clashes, but Worsfold said his side would attack the derby flat out as it searches for its second win of the season.
“It doesn’t sit that nicely with us, we don’t like being a side that’s struggling and not in good form,” Worsfold said in a joint press conference with Harvey on Thursday.
“It won’t really affect our attitude going into the game, we’ll go in pretty flat out.
“It’s a big game, a big game for us to go in and perform well.
“They (the players) aren’t happy with the way they’re travelling and not happy with some of their performances, so they want to turn that around.”
After a sapping 52-point loss to the Sydney Swans in round five, Worsfold said there would be changes to his side, with Quinten Lynch, Ben McKinley and Ash Hansen all available to boost a struggling forward line.
“Quinten’s one of a number of guys putting their hand up to come back in (and) Ash has done what we’ve asked of him, in terms of putting his name up with goals kicked,” Worsfold said.
The coach said McKinley, who booted 1.5 for East Perth in the WAFL, had been working hard and the club was pleased with how he was progressing.
“We know he’s a good player, so for him to be back in our side, it’s very similar to Quinten in that, ‘show us that you can do certain things to make our team better’,” he said.
Second-year midfielder Tom Swift and draftee Brad Sheppard are also pushing hard for selection and Worsfold said their claims were strong this week.
Sheppard, who is yet to debut after being selected with West Coast’s first pick (No.7 overall) in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft, will bring the polished disposal and good decision-making that has been lacking at West Coast, Worsfold said.
“We’re aware of what he’s going to bring to the side when he comes in and I’d expect that’d be sooner rather than later,” the coach said.
“He’s a very exciting young player and he’s going to become one of our very good players as well.
“Whether that’s this week I can’t say yet.”
