West Coast to consider sacking Adam Simpson after two horror seasons

Adam Simpson is under mounting pressure to remain West Coast coach beyond the next two weeks after a disastrous derby loss put pressure on Eagles powerbrokers to act.

Adam Simpson. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

West Coast are strongly considering dipping into their vast reservoirs to pay out Adam Simpson’s contract in a move that could cost the club up to $6 million.

The club’s 2018 premiership coach Simpson is aware of the board’s strong shift away from him in recent days as it prepares for a decision on his future in the next fortnight.

West Coast’s disastrous loss to Fremantle changed the equation for Simpson, who had been told if he limited massive losses he would be backed through the long and dark rebuild.

But the West Coast board, which includes Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett as well as former Australian Test coach Justin Langer, will decide Simpson’s fate.

That decision will likely come at the end of the season.

West Coast has endured two horror seasons. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

The Eagles take on the Western Bulldogs (at Marvel Stadium) and then Adelaide at home on Saturday week, closely followed by the club’s best and fairest award.

It will give the board some clean air to consider the cost of sacking Simpson and the next steps if they do make that monumental decision.

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire first revealed on Footy Classified the impending decision on Simpson’s future on Wednesday night.

Simpson’s manager Shane Casley told the Herald Sun earlier this year the long-term Eagles coach would not walk away and was committed to being part of the club’s rebuild.

He confirmed he had a contract all the way to 2025, which the Herald Sun understands to be just short of $1 million a season.

Under the AFL’s harsh luxury tax for its football departments, the Eagles could pay up to $4 million in tax to sack Simpson.

Under those rules clubs if clubs spend more than $500,000 over the football department cap in any given season they are slugged with a 200 per cent tax.

If a club goes over the cap by $500,000 in a second season, they are hit with a 300 per cent tax.

Simpson has faced mounting pressure since the Eagles’ 100-point derby loss. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

So spreading $2 million of football department overspend over two seasons would not help the Eagles.

West Coast recorded an astonishing $7.4 million profit in 2021 and while that profit slumped to $3.5 million last season the club’s revenue topped $80 million.

Simpson has made clear he is not prepared to walk away without being paid in full, and his deteriorating relationship with Nisbett is unlikely to change that scenario.

The former North Melbourne premiership star has financial obligations in Perth including two Hungry Jacks franchises, so he would not be in a position to walk away from those future earnings.

Alastair Clarkson was paid out $900,000 _ which the Hawks split over two seasons _ when he moved on from Hawthorn with a single season on his contract.

In an ideal world Simpson would secure immediate employment as a senior coach elsewhere, which would lessen the financial burden for West Coast because it could lessen their overall payout.

But Simpson and his young family are firmly entrenched in Perth and are unlikely to move in the short term for him to chase another coaching contract.

Simpson’s coaching lieutenant Daniel Pratt, a former Brisbane and North Melbourne player, had already been informed he would move on if Simpson stayed so some fresh blood could be injected into the coaching panel.

Simpson’s critics believe he had too few assistants who confronted him with new ideas, with claims the club has not embraced innovation or cutting-edge tactics until this season when it tried to instil a new game plan.

Originally published as West Coast to consider sacking Adam Simpson after two horror seasons