| James Worpel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Worpel playing for Hawthorn in August 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Nickname | Worpedo | ||
| Born | (1999-01-24)24 January 1999 (age 26) | ||
| Original team | Geelong Falcons (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 45,2017 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 6, 2018,Hawthorn vs.St Kilda, atUniversity of Tasmania Stadium | ||
| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 86 kg (190 lb) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Geelong | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2018–2025 | Hawthorn | 148 (49) | |
| 2026– | Geelong | 0(0) | |
| Total | 148 (49) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2025. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
James Worpel (born 24 January 1999) is a professionalAustralian rules footballer playing for theGeelong Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL).
One of nine siblings growing up in the regional town ofBannockburn near Geelong, James was the second youngest and grew up with three other football obsessed brothers. An early developer James was selected at centre half back in the 2014 U/15 All Australian team.[1] He also attended school atWestern Heights College located inGeelong
Worpel spent two years developing his craft in the TAC with theGeelong Falcons. Worpel is a fierce competitor that goes in to win hard ball.[2]
A natural leader he was appointed co-captain of the Falcons for the 2017 year. He would later lead the side to the premiership. He was captain of the Victoria Country team in the2017 AFL Under 18 Championships and was later rewarded with being selected in the U/18 All-Australian team.[2]
Worpel was drafted by Hawthorn with their first selection and forty-fifth overall in the2017 AFL draft. He made his AFL debut in the thirty-five point win againstSt Kilda at theUniversity of Tasmania Stadium in round six of the 2018 season.[3][4] He played three games before getting dropped. Back in the side for round 18 againstCarlton, he put in an impressive four match performance for Worpel became Hawthorn's second Rising Star nominee for the 2018 season.[5]
During the 2019 pre-season Worpel was given the number 5 guernsey that had been vacated due toRyan Burton having been traded toPort Adelaide.[6] Worpel wore number 38 for his debut season.[7]
Worpel was picked for round one, and managed to play every game for the season. He set a league record for most disposals for a player under twenty years of age. Ultimately he was voted the best player for Hawthorn for the season, collecting thePeter Crimmins Medal,[8] becoming the youngest winner of that record sinceLeigh Matthews won it in 1971.[9] Worpel is considered a protégé of Senior Coach and former Hawthorn playerSam Mitchell.[7][10]
In2020, Worpel missed the last two games of the season when he injured of his right acromioclavicular (AC) joint againstWestern Bulldogs that required surgery to stabilise the joint.[11]
Following the2025 AFL season, Worpel exercised his rights as a free agent and moved toGeelong.[12]
Updated to the end of 2025.[13]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2018 | Hawthorn | 38 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 95 | 98 | 193 | 23 | 43 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 17.5 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 0 |
| 2019 | Hawthorn | 5 | 22 | 9 | 8 | 309 | 275 | 584 | 72 | 107 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 26.5 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 10 |
| 2020[a] | Hawthorn | 5 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 167 | 120 | 287 | 39 | 81 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 11.1 | 8.0 | 19.1 | 2.6 | 5.4 | 0 |
| 2021 | Hawthorn | 5 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 232 | 194 | 426 | 54 | 82 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 11.6 | 9.7 | 21.3 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 0 |
| 2022 | Hawthorn | 5 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 86 | 83 | 169 | 20 | 24 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 15.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0 |
| 2023 | Hawthorn | 5 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 286 | 314 | 600 | 52 | 92 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 12.4 | 13.7 | 26.1 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 11 |
| 2024 | Hawthorn | 5 | 25 | 6 | 11 | 280 | 265 | 545 | 52 | 110 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 11.2 | 10.6 | 21.8 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 14 |
| 2025 | Hawthorn | 5 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 211 | 210 | 421 | 34 | 104 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 20.0 | 1.6 | 5.0 | 3 |
| Career | 148 | 49 | 58 | 1666 | 1559 | 3225 | 346 | 642 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 21.8 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 38 | ||
Notes
Team
Individual
