Worsfold said his younger players were found out by the Swans’ intensity in the first half, but he admired their ability to match the home side after the long break.
“We’re not in great form and some of our young players really got caught out. They found out about the intensity of it in the first half but the really pleasing thing was they showed what they could do in the second half,” he said.
“These young players are going to be playing for a long period of time with our club and they’re going to help us win premierships.
“One example is [first-gamer] Matt Spangher playing on one of the unbelievable champions of the game in [Michael] O’Loughlin.
“You would expect O’Loughlin to have a little bit more footy smarts over Spangher and a little bit more strength, but I know who’s more likely to play in an AFL premiership right at this point.”
Other youngsters to earn a mention included Ben McKinley, Jamie McNamara, Chris Masten and Shannon Hurn.
Worsfold highlighted Andrew Embley and David Wirrpanda as possible inclusions for the round five clash against Port Adelaide, and said Chad Fletcher was a chance to return after a strong WAFL performance.
Brent Staker’s fitness will be assessed during the week, after he was concussed in an incident involving the Swans’ Barry Hall, who was reported for allegedly striking the Eagles' big man.
Worsfold declined to comment on the first-quarter incident, but he conceded Staker’s absence affected the game.
“Obviously, you lose a player in the first quarter, it has a big impact on what you can do and how you can use players, so we just had to deal with that,” he said.
“You don’t like to see anyone get injured in the game. It makes you feel for them, but it’s a pretty tough game so you have to learn to be resilient.”
Worsfold said finals were still firmly in the club’s sights, despite a slow start to the year.
“I always say our aim is to win 12 games and make the finals,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in what this player group can achieve this year, both on and off the field and they’ll continue doing that.”
