The Eagles have revolted after skipper Oscar Allen took a hard stance following his secret meeting with an AFL rival.
The West Coast Eagles have a reported player revolt on their hands after Oscar Allen was encouraged to step down as captain.
The Eagles forward made headlines last week after meeting in secret with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, with the move understandably going down like a lead balloon with club officials.
And in the wake of it becoming public, West Coast chief executive Don Pyke reportedly told Allen that the board felt it was best for him to step down, but ultimately left the decision up to him.
However according to veteran journalist Kim Hagdorn, the move from the board sparked somewhat of a player revolt.
Hagdorn says Allen refused to relinquish his leadership role before fronting the media with Eagles head of footy John Worsfold where he expressed his remorse to Eagles fans.
But that wasn’t the end of the drama, with the playing group reportedly furious at how the club handled the Allen saga and uncertain about the club’s direction
“I think the players have lost faith in what’s going on and they’ve certainly lost faith in John Worsfold and Don Pyke after how they handled Oscar Allen last week,” Hagdorn told SEN WA Sportsday.
“ … Don Pyke rang Oscar Allen last Wednesday and said, ‘The board want you to stand down, it’s up to you’. What sort of management is that?
“He quite rightly said (no), knowing full well the players were behind him. I was told the players said unanimously to Oscar, ‘You’ve got every right to explore your options, the club won’t give you a long-term deal, other clubs are offering it to you, go and explore your options Oscar’.
“So he said, ‘No, I’m not willing to stand down’. Then two senior players went to Don Pyke and said, ‘The way you’re handling Oscar is a disgrace. The players are up in arms and the club is to throw full support behind him or you’ll have more action from the players’.
“I think there’s a massive divide between Oscar Allen and the players with John Worsfold, Don Pyke and the board.”
