If at any stage of his life, Worpel’s fall-back job did eventuate, he would be the first to clock on and the last to leave, and every single inmate would know that he was in for a tough day when Worpel was on the roster. Just ask his midfield coach, Sam Mitchell, who describes Worpel’s desire to improve as “desperate”. “Have you got any vision for me?” Worpel asked as he walked through the corridor at Waverley. “No mate ... we haven’t trained since you last asked me!” Mitchell retorted. The midweek exchange encapsulates the closeness between the two, a relationship that is barely six months old.

It was midway through Hawthorn’s nine-day trek of Kokoda, the home of one of the most significant battles in Australian war-time history, when the group of 16 stopped one night for a break. As the players, coaches and staff bonded over an amber ale or two, one connection began to take special shape. Sam Mitchell, now an assistant coach at Hawthorn, has formed a close bond with Worpel. Credit:Wayne Taylor There was a returning legend, premiership captain and 329-game superstar turned assistant coach in Mitchell, and an 11-gamer in Worpel. The latter has since likened the mateship to that of a father and son, but then and there, it was the beginning of the master and the apprentice relationship.

“One night Sam, I think he was joking, offered me the number five after a few beers I think he had,” Worpel told the Sunday Age. “A couple days after we got back I texted him asking if he was taking the piss or not; luckily he said I could have it.” Jumper numbers can have varying degrees of significance for players. Worpel wore 38 for his first 11 games and was offered eight and 13 by the club ahead of the 2019 season. But he wasn’t interested in either of those options. He wanted five.

“It is one of the most decorated numbers at the club and there is a bit of extra responsibility with it. “If I can be half the player Sam Mitchell was ... I’ll be pretty stoked with my career.” Half a year on and the master and apprentice bond has blossomed. Worpel is on the warpath to improve and he’s desperate to learn as much from Mitchell as he can. Whether it’s stoppage vision, training standards or life advice, Mitchell is Worpel’s go-to man. Hailing from the small town of Bannockburn – north-west of Geelong – Worpel grew up a staunch Cats supporter, so it’s fair to say that he didn’t have a hugely positive outlook towards Mitchell, particularly when he lead the Hawks to a grand final victory over Worpel’s team when he watched on as a nine year-old.

But things in football, as in life, can change quickly and Worpel was forced to learn that. Worpel grew up as the second youngest in his family. He has a younger sister, four older sisters and three older brothers. Worpel loves being in the clinches, and works relentlessly to improve his game. Credit:AAP Your maths is correct. He’s one of nine. “Mum and Dad, I don’t know what they were thinking, nine kids is a bit too many I think but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Worpel laughed.

So, although his geographical move is minimal compared to other draftees who are forced to go interstate, the change to his living situation has been significant. Enter Mitchell. “Sam has only been here six months and he’s taught me so much already,” Worpel said. “The way he’s welcomed me into his family and into his life has been super, he’s been a really good mentor for me. “He helps me out with outside of football and trying to be the best person I can.

“Moving away from family, he’s taken on a father figure role for me.” Born in January, Worpel finished his year 12 studies a year earlier than most and thus spent a year working full-time and playing for the Geelong Falcons before being drafted. The work wasn’t easy, either. James worked with his brother Tom at the local winery. “Digging holes, bending over, lifting stuff, it probably wasn’t the best idea looking back on it," he said. “But I got through it, I didn’t want to stinge off my parents. I wanted to make my own money and start my own life.”

Loading Worpel has taken that attitude into his football career. While the knock on him as a junior was often his kicking and outside spread, there were very few who could match it with him on the inside. When the ball is there to be won, he takes no prisoners. “I was never one to rely on others to do stuff for me,” he said.

“My parents were probably sick of looking after kids by the time I came along! So I was left to my own devices. “Life is what you make of it. You work hard for things and you usually get them.” After working hard and getting number five, Worpel has wasted no time in taking his game to the next level. In the absence of Tom Mitchell, as well as Shaun Burgoyne and Liam Shiels more recently, Worpel has averaged 26 disposals and 12 contested possessions in his five games this year. But it’s not just on the field where the emerging Hawk is excelling.

“I see the club psychologist, Tara, once every two weeks, it was something Sam probably pushed me towards it a little bit," Worpel said. “The mental side is growing hugely in the game, every little advantage you can get you have to take.” When players are asked what area of their game they’d like to improve, invariably the answer is one or two major components they’d like to focus on. Not so for Worpel. “Spreading from contests, hurting opposition on turnover, moving around the ground, endurance, getting to more contests, understanding the game more, outside run, marking … you could make a list as long as my leg.”

The response summarises everything you need to know about the apprentice midfielder and it’s the one thing that stood out to the master himself. “He’s desperate to get better, it’s an underrated skill,” Sam Mitchell said. “Everyone wants to get better, everyone wants to make a career of it, but there are degrees of it.” Mitchell recalls a moment in last week’s loss to Geelong when Worpel’s attitude was picked up in the Hawthorn coach’s box. “He turned it over badly, and they got a goal out of it," Mitchell said.

“The very next centre bounce, it was like he was possessed – Adam Yze said in the box – if we could all play like that, we’d be fine!” Watch out, Carlton's midfield.