West Coast Eagles‘ board must look to future, not past, when deciding Adam Simpson’s coaching future

How does a spirited win against the Bulldogs weigh against Adam Simpson‘s broader body of work? MARK DUFFIELD analyses.

Four factors will decide Adam Simpson’s future at the West Coast Eagles. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Adam Simpson’s future at West Coast Eagles will come down to how the board approaches the following four questions.

Question one: Can a coach be sacked after a spirited showing against the Western Bulldogs produced a late season win against the odds – especially with senior players speaking passionately in support of Simpson after the win?

Question two: Can a coach be retained after two-and-a-half dire seasons which, inclusive of Sunday’s win, have produced just seven wins in 53 games with five losses by more than 100 points and 15 losses by 40 points or more this season alone?

Question three: If Simpson did not have two years of a contract to run, would the club be looking to retain him?

Question four: Is Simpson the best available coach to train, grow and develop what will be, after this year’s draft and trade period, one of the youngest lists in the competition?

Questions one and two are the two that hold the public’s attention at the moment because they cut to credit and blame. Simpson deserves part of the credit for a remarkable win against the Bulldogs, but how much of the blame should he have for the woeful seasons the Eagles have endured in 2022 and 2023 after losing seven of their last nine games to miss finals in 2021?

Simpson conjured the upset of the season when the Eagles defeated the Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

But questions three and four are the ones that hold the key to the Eagles’ board getting the decision right when it passes judgement on Simpson.

These questions cut to what lies in front of, not behind, the Eagles.

Are there better available alternatives? And would the club be looking for alternatives if it were not for a likely payout of at least $2.5 million to terminate Simpson’s contract with two years left to run?

Members of West Coast’s board met at chairman Paul Fitzpatrick’s house on Monday morning for what was later described in a club statement as an “informal discussion”.

“The club remains firm on its position that no decisions have been made around the future of any staff members and that none of those key decisions will be made until after the season,” the statement said.

“Our club is focused on celebrating the careers of three champions – Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey and Nic Naitanui – at our final match of the season against Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.”

Board members Rowan Jones, Elizabeth Gaines, Nicole Moody, Justin Langer and Ben Wyatt visited Fitzpatrick’s western suburbs residence for the meeting and the club’s chief operating officer Richard Godfrey was also present.

The Eagles board met on Monday morning with Simpson’s future discussed. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Chief executive Trevor Nisbett, also on the board, was not present but is understood to have taken part in the meeting via Zoom.

It is understood that the meeting was never intended – either before or after the Bulldogs game – to be a passing of final judgement on Simpson. But it is also believed, as part of the board’s due diligence on Simpson’s future, that they are looking at the logistics of the departure and what alternatives are out there as his successor should Simpson be given his marching orders.

The feeling among West Coast insiders last week was that Simpson, at the helm since taking over from John Worsfold in 2014, was in serious trouble. The club’s official position had shifted from the fact that he had a contract to his future being a matter for discussion.

That shift came in the wake of the 101-point derby loss to Fremantle, the Eagles’ cross town rival, which was the fifth triple-figure loss West Coast had suffered this season.

Simpson’s detractors have pointed to the two years of non performance – albeit hampered by Covid and injury in 2022 and injury this year. Simpson supporters have pointed to the strong performance against the Dogs as evidence that the coach is still the man the players, especially the senior players, want.

But neither the detractors or supporters are using evidence from the future.

It will be the board’s capacity to make the right call going forward that holds the key to getting this right – with or without Simpson, with or without a payout.

Originally published as West Coast Eagles‘ board must look to future, not past, when deciding Adam Simpson’s coaching future