Chris Masten Biography

Chris Masten admits to feeling emotional after West Coast's semi-final loss to Geelong, knowing it could be his last game for the Eagles.

What Masten didn't expect was his outpouring of emotion as the final siren sounded on the semi-final defeat at the MCG.

"I'm an emotional dude, a sensitive dude, but I'm not one to do it in front of people. I tried to hold it back but it just hit me this could be the last time I wear this jumper and walk off the 'G with my boys," Masten said.

"So I couldn't help but feel a little bit emotional, because I had that in the back of my head probably in the last quarter when it seemed like we weren't going to get there."

Still keen to play on, his manager Colin Young is speaking to clubs in the hope of finding a suitor.

"I'm pretty much training and living like I'm going to be playing football next year," Masten said.

"I think that's the way I have to have it in my mind at the moment. If I don't, then I can go play WAFL or whatever else, but that's what I'm focusing on at the moment.

"I've got two kids at home now (daughter Stevie was born last month) so I don't really have time to dwell on anything, I've just got to get on with it."

Chris Masten hopes to continue his career at another club being delisted by West Coast.

In emotional scenes, Masten was consoled by teammates after the final siren sounded in the Eagles' season-ending semi-final loss to Geelong at the MCG.

"I have had a wonderful time at the Eagles, the club I supported as a kid. It was a dream to play for them and to play in a premiership last year was the ultimate for me," Masten said.

"Over the last 12 or 13 years I have enjoyed every minute of it and have made some life-long friends. I will certainly miss the boys, we have a really special bond, but it is time to have a look at other options."

Chris Masten is taking a team-first attitude to getting hard-running recruit Josh Smith up to speed.

"I'm just trying to help him learn my role and if he needs to learn other ones, the other boys will be doing the same thing," Masten said of Smith.

"I think he (Smith) can play anywhere with the tank that he's got, he's pretty smart and he's got good skills."

Chris Masten admits he felt lost mentally after finding himself on the outer at West Coast last season, but says more clarity around his role and the birth of his first child, Tex, have helped him refocus for 2018.

"I hadn't been dropped for nine years or something. Mentally I was nowhere at the back half of the year," Masten said.

"I was probably trying to be something I wasn't and I've just got to play a role. I'm not going to go out and star and get three Brownlow votes, but I can help us win and that's all I want to do."

Chris Masten signs a contract extension with West Coast that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

Chris Masten is set to miss the first month of the premiership season after suffering an left ankle sprain in the Eagles' intra-club match.

Masten suffered a high left ankle sprain and will have his ankle in a moon boot over the next couple of weeks before starting a rehab program.

Collinwood coach Nathan Buckley has expressed surprise over Chris Masten's two-week ban for biting, labelling such an action as "clearly not acceptable" in today's game.

"It didn't sit in the Tribunal, but if you're guilty of biting you'd expect the penalty would be a little greater than that," Buckley said.

"Without all the evidence, the immediate reaction would be that it's either you're absolved or there's a greater penalty.

Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale has defended teammate Nick Suban after Suban was accused of unsportsmanlike behaviour during a spiteful Tribunal hearing on Tuesday night.

Suban was a witness in the case that saw West Coast midfielder Chris Masten suspended for two matches for biting the Docker's arm during last Sunday's Western Derby.

The Eagles accused Suban of being unsportsmanlike and causing Masten to bite down on his arm after allegedly forcing his it around Masten's head during their wrestle.

"Nick's a really fierce competitor and we love the way he goes about his footy," Neale said.

"I think you see on the field all the time, guys push the line and really try and play hard and aggressive footy and that's all Nick does. I don't think he's unsportsmanlike at all."

Chris Masten is found guilty by the Tribunal of biting Fremantle's Nick Suban and is handed a two-match suspension.

Masten pleaded not guilty and argued he had reacted instinctively to Suban pressing his forearm into his mouth.

The Eagles even called a dental surgeon and jaw expert to explain the jaw reflex that could have taken place when Masten felt pressure inside his mouth, also using former coach John Worsfold as a character reference.

But evidence from Suban and a damning photograph of the Dockers midfielder's arm meant the jury had little room to move in suspending Masten for biting.

Masten was clearly shattered when the result was handed down and will now miss matches against the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide, returning for the final regular season match against St Kilda.

Asked if he had bitten Suban, Masten said: "Absolutely not … my mouth is wedged on his forearm. There was no intention to bite. I must have closed it by reaction".

A photo of Suban's left forearm was shown to an AFL investigator on Monday and again to the Tribunal on Tuesday, showing a clear breaking of the skin, which Fremantle said had required treatment and a course of antibiotics.

Suban also gave evidence that that backed up his match-day comments to an umpire, telling the Tribunal he felt a bite on his arm.

Masten's case was built on the biting action being an involuntary reaction to pressure in his mouth, with the Eagles calling on dental surgeon Dr Robert Delcanho, who said a "physiological reflex" could have occurred "activating jaw-closing muscles".

Worsfold gave character evidence, saying Masten was "a very fair player" and it was not in his nature to fight or wrestle opponents.

As he left the Tribunal in Perth, Masten said: "I got a really fair hearing, just unhappy with the decision obviously. We'll get on with it in a couple of weeks."

The Match Review Panel will on Monday investigate a biting allegation made against West Coast midfielder Chris Masten.

Masten is alleged to have bitten Fremantle's Nick Suban in Sunday's Western Derby, prompting an incident referral.

Suban motions to his arm after the incident and tells the umpire Masten bit him, with audio caught on the umpire's microphone.

Chris Masten commits to a long-term deal at West Coast that will keep him at the club until the end of 2016.

"I'm really happy to have re-signed," Masten said.

"It's nice to get it sorted early in the season, I really enjoy being around the boys."

Andrew Gaff says Chris Masten's form in 2012 has finally justified the Eagles picking him with their No. 3 pick in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft.

"He's so much more involved, his kicking has improved out of sight, and he's kicking a lot of goals," Gaff said.

"He's doing all the tough defensive stuff too. You don't get taken at No.3 for no reason at all and he's shown us this year why he was taken so high."

West Coast midfielder Chris Masten admits his spot in the side is under threat ahead of a preliminary final clash with Geelong.

"It's amazing competition. We've got pretty much a full list to choose from, so the coaches might have a bit of a headache, which is good for the side," Masten said.

"Obviously you have to be playing pretty good to keep your spot. I've been reasonably happy with how it's gone, but there's lots of competition."

Chris Masten says getting dropped reminded him how much he wants to play senior football.

"I'm not complacent, but you do start to think, 'I'll play every week'. Then you get dropped. I think being dropped has been a really good thing for me, because it's reminded me that I really want to be out there," he said.

"It's my fourth year and I know the lessons, but I think it was the kick in the pants I needed. I've been working really hard on all aspects of my game and hopefully I reap the rewards in this latter part of the season."

West Coast midfielder Chris Masten will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a knee injury, but does not face surgery.

"I have damaged the lateral ligament, which means I will be out for only five to six weeks," Masten said.

"It felt very similar to the posterior cruciate ligament injury I suffered late last season so I knew it was going to mean a spell on the sidelines.

"When I hobbled off the ground to the bench I was shattered, but I didn't want to show the boys how I was feeling. I had to stay positive and encourage them because they were a man down with more than a half to play."

West Coast's 2010 woes worsened after a derby loss to Fremantle that saw Chris Masten suffer a knee injury.

"The extent we don't know obviously until it's scanned, but you would expect he would miss games," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"He obviously had the same thing last year, which was a long time out, but sometimes it can be only minor and they have two or three weeks out. That's the range at the moment."

Eagles assistant coach Peter Sumich says Chris Masten's brilliant display at the club's first intra-club match was a bonus for the club.

"'Masto' looked sharp running away from packs, whereas over the last probably 12 months with that groin injury he hasn't done that," Sumich said.

"So to come through that game and look sharp is a bonus for us."

West Coast's Chris Masten is the 2009 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after notching 38 touches against Port Adelaide in round 16.

Masten says he was surprised to find out that he was even eligible.

"I wasn't actually sure I was still eligible. I didn't realise the 10 games came into it," Masten said.

"I didn't really know about it until I saw something in the paper written up before the season started. I didn't set my goals for being nominated but it I'm pretty honoured to get one."

Eagles rookie Chris Masten pleads guilty to his charge of disorderly conduct in public for his actions during the Australia Day celebrations on the South Perth foreshore.

Masten is given a spent conviction, fined $750 and ordered to pay $110 in court costs.

New Eagles recruit Chris Masten is fined $2000 and suspended by the club for his involvement in a fight during Australia Day celebrations on the South Perth foreshore.

West Coast Chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the club was extremely disappointed with Masten.

"We hope this will be a steep learning curve for one of our rookie players and he can now put this behind him and start his professional career," Nisbett said.