Eagle admits he 'acted unprofessionally'

West Coast Eagle Jeremy McGovern has revealed he acted unprofessionally for an AFL footballer and deserved to be sent away to train alone.

In a candid interview with the Albany Advertiser during the Eagles community camp in his hometown last week, McGovern spoke for the first time about his challenging summer.

McGovern, who is yet to play an AFL game for the Eagles, was upgraded from the rookie list at the end of 2013 after some impressive performances for Claremont in a season that was ended prematurely by injury.

However, the young key-position prospect returned from his off-season break in poor shape, recording high skin-fold readings and tailed off badly in a series of runs in the Eagles first session under new coach Adam Simpson.

The 21-year-old was sent away to complete a four-week personal training program to bring him up to condition to train at AFL level.

“It was a bit of everything really,” McGovern said.

“I had surgery at end of year, then I had a break, my break was bit different to everyone else’s but the main thing I just wasn’t professional enough through the off-season, I have definitely learnt my lesson on that.

“I was doing the training and stuff but probably not as hard as I could.

“My drinking probably wasn’t the best thing for an AFL footballer.”

The North Albany product said Simpson’s punishment was a blessing in disguise.

“It put me on the back foot from day one,” he said.

“Adam Simpson nipped that (in) the bud pretty quick and gave me a real good reality check.

“It has put me in good stead, I’m in good shape now and hopefully I will be ready for round 1.”

In his first year as Eagles senior coach, Simpson said his relationship with McGovern was positive despite some early hiccups.

“Yeah we’re okay,” Simpson said while in Albany.

“He’s from down here, so he’s the king of the kids at the moment but he is training really well.”

McGovern said his focus this year was trying to break into the Eagles senior team.

“I have been itching for (a game) since I have been there,” he said.

“Hopefully whatever opportunity I get, East Perth, NAB Cup even if I do get an AFL game, hopefully I can play my best and give myself the best opportunity to lock down a position in the AFL team.”