Hawthorn midfielder James Worpel says he is optimistic that the club can bounce back after a disappointing loss against Essendon last week. 

Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s game against Sydney, Worpel said the group was eager to prove they had more to show than their output against the Bombers. 

“That game was an outlier for us, we’re not expecting to play like that every week,” Worpel said. 

“Essendon were good to their credit, but we weren’t very good on the day.

“But we’re going to back our system in, back our players and back our coaches in, so we’ll see how we go this week. 

“Sydney is a good contested team as they always have been, that’s something they pride themselves on. 

“We’ll definitely be looking to improve our pressure and contested footy from the weekend.”

Now in his sixth season in the brown and gold, Worpel also spoke on his role within the club and how it has evolved over the years. 

“You look around the locker room now, and we’ve been here for six years and there’s not too many blokes that have been here longer than me,” Worpel said. 

“It’s really exciting around the footy club, there’s some good relationships getting built, and some midfielders that are keen to learn.

“I can lend my knowledge here and there, but I’m still young and learning myself so it’s an interesting mix.”

Listen to Worpel’s full press conference below.