It’s one of football’s well-worn clichés; no individual is bigger than the club.

As easy as it is to rattle that off the tongue, removing the emotional connection, made it difficult to process the fact that at the end of the 2013 season, John Worsfold decided it was time to draw the curtain on his 24-year involvement at the West Coast Eagles.

It was his turn to announce that the time had come to pass on the baton.

That his time as a custodian of the club was done and it was now in the hands of the next generation. Worsfold had been one of the great constants at the club for a large portion of its 27 years.

He had played 209 games after being recruited to the inaugural team, he was captain in 138 of those games. And then, after taking over the coaching helm in 2002, he had piloted the club through another 281 games.

Worsfold had been involved in every Grand Final in which the club had competed, had stood on the dais to receive each of the three premiership cups. But now he was done.

The revered West Coast figure walked into the office of another heart-and-soul Eagle, Chief Executive Trevor Nisbett, a few weeks after the 2013 season had ended and informed him that he did not have the energy or drive to continue.

He had given the club all he could. It was over.

Worsfold, as his way, took some time to reflect on the failed 2013 season. To take a moment to process what had happened, where the team and the club were going and considered they should take the next phase of the journey without him.

Things had not gone the way he had imagined in 2013.

After encouraging performances in the preceding two seasons the club slipped out of the top eight once more. Having finished fourth and fifth in 2011 and 2012, the club had plummeted back to 13^th. Momentum had been lost and so had his drive.

Through 12 seasons as senior coach he had overseen the triumphs and the despair. They had built to win the 2006 premiership, had then focused on addressing a raft of off-field issues and he felt like they were on the rise again.

But just nine wins in this campaign – and tellingly none against final eight teams – told him it had to change. And, personally, he was drained with no more to give.

The time seemed right.

To mark the occasion, the club decided to strike the Club Champion Award in his honour, with Matt Priddis being crowned the inaugural John Worsfold medallist. There could be no more fitting man to win the mantle as Priddis was everything Worsfold admired in a player.

The gap between his best and his worst was miniscule. He did everything within his control to be the best that he could and he was universally admired by all at the club. By his peers, coaches, staff and directors.

The club immediately began the process of searching for a replacement and former North Melbourne captain Adam Simpson, an assistant coach at Hawthorn for four years, got the nod.

Before moving into the Simpson era in the next chapters, it is necessary to appraise Worsfold’s final season at the club.

It was one where the Eagles won five of the first nine games and while that was not exactly an explosion out of the blocks, they were still close enough to challenge for the final eight if good enough.

Unfortunately, momentum could not be built and the club won just three of the last 11 games and was soundly beaten in the last three games. Losses by 10 goals to Geelong and Collingwood did not sit well with Worsfold and perhaps a 14-goal thumping at the hands of Adelaide in round 23 was the tipping point.     

The Eagles had beaten Adelaide by six points in round 15 and the contrast in the two performances could not have been more varied.

While the season did not produce the degree of satisfaction anticipated it was not totally devoid of excitement.

St Kilda were not one of the powers of the competition either, but the round 11 battle with them at Etihad was a thriller; not one for the time capsule as it was riddled with errors, but it was close.

The Saints got away to a bright start, and for the most part controlled the first three quarters. Things were looking grim for West Coast and they were not playing their best footy, but they persisted.

In the dying minutes of the final term Shannon Hurn kicked long down the spine from a kick-in, Nic Naitanui helped the ball on its way. Matt Rosa gathered, looked inside 50 and saw nothing but space. He kicked it as hard and long as possible.

Eric Mackenzie had set off when Hurn launched his bomb and continued to run, with Beau Maister in pursuit. It was a foot race for the premiership points. Maister tripped and fell, badly straining a hamstring, about 30 metres from goal. Mackenzie kept his feet, swooped, ran to the goal line and kicked the match-winner.

While the departure of Worsfold was the headline act, great servants like Andrew Embley, Daniel Kerr, Adam Selwood and Mark Nicoski all announced that they, too, would retire.

Priddis was a popular winner of the inaugural medal, with runner-up Mackenzie growing in stature and he was followed by Josh Kennedy (third).

Veteran ruckman Dean Cox maintained his high level of achievement, by again finishing in the top four and continuing to forge his reputation as one of the club’s great players.