West Coast legend Will Schofield’s stunning return amid ’embarrassing’ AFL controversy.
Will Schofield retired in 2020, but he answered the West Coast Eagles’ call in a moment of need.
The West Coast Eagles have enticed fan favourite Will Schofield out of AFL retirement as the team contends with a severe injury issue. The Eagles have been plagued by injuries that they are unable to field an AFL team, let alone a full complement in their reserves for the WAFL.
Schofield announced his return to the football pitch to help his former club on Thursday afternoon. The 14-year AFL veteran retired in 2020, after 194 games and a premiership in 2018.
Schofield made himself available out of a sense of duty to the club, having been left uneasy by the Eagles’ 169-point defeat to West Perth the previous weekend. The WAFL match had only six AFL-listed players available, which was reduced to five minutes into the first quarter when young gun Elijah Hewett injured his ankle.
According to Eagles football coach Gavin Bell, the Eagles had up to 17 listed players unavailable for selection as of Monday night. WAFL chairman Wayne Martin described the Eagles’ performance in the state league as ’embarrassing’.
Schofield, on the other hand, is simply thrilled to be back in the blue and gold and doing his part for the club he has called home for almost ten years. Schofield has become a well-known media figure since his retirement, writing essays for CODE Sports and other publications.
“On Monday I was involved in my weekly segment with Adam Simpson and I mentioned it again, half jokingly, that I was available if needed,” the 34-year-old wrote in an interview with CODE. “The wheels were in motion.”
“I was actually offered a sum of money to play, but I didn’t really need it, and said I would prefer to play for nothing. Full disclosure: I haven’t trained or played a game of footy since I broke my back playing for Peel Thunder in the middle of 2021.
