One of the battle-hardened men in the challenging world of AFL administration stood in the middle of the West Coast Eagles players’ lounge.

It was Thursday afternoon, around 3pm. The club’s staff had been summoned for a major announcement. They formed a horseshoe shape around chief executive Trevor Nisbett.

Among those from the inner sanctum, leaning casually against a fridge, was another hard nut – senior coach John Worsfold.

As Nisbett began to address his staff, you knew it was a momentous occasion. He had to clear his throat a couple of times, fight back the emotion as he declared that earlier in the day Worsfold had called into his office and told both himself and chairman Alan Cransberg that he could no longer go on.

Life as an AFL senior coach is demanding. Physically, emotionally and in every other sense imaginable. A senior coach is scrutinised more closely than any other in his work place, perhaps with the exception of the Prime Minister. Woosh did not have the energy to continue.

For a couple of minutes Nisbett’s quivering voice extolled the virtues of West Coast’s favourite son. Everyone in the room felt for Niz. They felt for Woosh and they fought their own emotions too.

When Nisbett had finished, he offered Worsfold the floor. Woosha chose to pass on the opportunity. Had to go and get his kids from school. Though the moment was probably too raw for him as well.

As everyone filed out of the room, most of them choking back tears, putting a comforting hand on the shoulder of a distressed colleague, it was another time to unite. This was not an announcement about the departure of a senior coach, this was about a club icon.

PHOTO GALLERY: John Worsfold's career in pictures

His record is amazing. He’s been at the club for 24 of its 27 years, was captain of the Eagles’ first two premierships and coached the third. But it’s not about the stats either. It’s about a bloke, a person of utmost integrity, a pillar of society. Our rock.

Over the years, we have all seen coaches depart. It’s the nature of the industry and every year three or four clubs herald in a new era. The time comes for all of them.

But yesterday was different at West Coast. No acrimonious sacking, with the coach frog-marched out of the building. No explosive confrontation. Not even a whisper of discontent. And that says a lot about the man. And, proudly, our club.

Woosh, like all senior coaches, had his detractors. There was no Plan B, some fans suggested. No imagination, others accused. No emotion in the box, though that weakness was also a strength.

To vent frustration in the box, to be blowing his lid for all to see on the big screen, would be showing a weakness. The cameras are trained on the coaches box waiting for that moment of fragility and Worsfold would not provide them with it. He thought that would send the wrong message, a negative vibe, to his players.

There has never been a perfect coach, never will be. Just as there is no perfect person. But Worsfold was the right person in the right place, at the right time in two instances for the West Coast Eagles.

Identified in his early teens as an outstanding young leader, he joined West Coast as an inaugural player. He was approaching his 18th birthday when signed to that initial squad and debuted in round four of the 1987 season against Carlton.

He was a talented player, there was no doubt. There were others with greater skill and flair, but Worsfold was the kind of player every coach craves. Totally committed to the team, prepared to sacrifice his own game in the name of victory.

The trademark of some men is blinding speed, others possess sublime skill off both sides of their body and others can soar high above packs off one step. But Woosh did the unspectacular. He would crash into packs, run with the flight of the ball with unerring courage; cover for teammates who left their man to provide offensive run.

And he loved to do what he did best. He thrived on dropping the shoulder into an opponent whenever that opportunity presented itself. Not quite sure where the nickname Woosh originated, but for the sake of folklore, let’s say it came from the rush of wind he created as he lined up an opponent.     

Those attributes caught the eye of coach Mick Malthouse and Nisbett when they were looking to usher in a new era in 1991, anointing Worsfold as captain when just 22. They appointed a more experienced and mature Michael Brennan as his deputy and that partnership was crucial to an outstanding decade for the club.

Worsfold was captain in 138 of his 209 games and proved an outstanding leader through his glittering career.

At the conclusion of his on-field career, Worsfold spent a year contemplating his career path and chose to head down the coaching track. He was keen to experience another club environment and was an assistant coach at Carlton for two years before the West Coast job became vacant at the end of 2001.

He took on the role with the fervour and aptitude one would expect and the club experienced finals in his first six years at the helm – losing the 2005 grand final to Sydney and spectacularly reversing that nail-biting result in 2006.

The last six years did not mirror the first half of his coaching career, playing in just two finals series, but there were more significant issues to address in that period than merely checking the premiership table every Monday morning.

The club was forced to take a probing introspective look at its culture, its values and its direction when some players losing their way. Worsfold, Nisbett and chairman Mark Barnaba were key influences in addressing the problem of illicit drugs.

That took almost total focus for a year or two, before the club bottomed out to win its first wooden spoon in 2010, before bouncing back play finals in 2011 and 2012.

To finish 13th in 2013 was undoubtedly a sub-standard performance and Worsfold ultimately determined that he did not have the drive to push the club up the ladder again. He had prepared the documentation to present to the board next week, to give the directors an insight into his vision for the short-term future of the club.

That presentation is no longer necessary, with the club now starting the search to find Woosha’s replacement.

That, in itself, is a daunting prospect.