Sacked West Coast coach Adam Simpson blindsided by Eagles offer in wild presser

West Coast has sacked coach Adam Simpson and thrown him under the bus with a wild moment in his farewell press conference.

Adam Simpson was blindsided by Don Pyke's public plea.

West Coast has sacked Adam Simpson.

The Eagles announced the news on Tuesday afternoon just moments after a scheduled media opportunity with midfielder Tim Kelly was cancelled at the last minute.

The West Coast board of directors met on Tuesday and the club has since reached an agreement for Simpson to walk away.

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The club issued a brief press statement.

“The West Coast Eagles and senior coach Adam Simpson have mutually agreed that his 11-year tenure at the club will come to an end,” the club stated.

“Simpson, one of only six senior coaches in the 37-year history of the club and one of only three to lead the club to premiership glory, achieved the ultimate success in 2018 to join Michael Malthouse (1992, 1994) and John Worsfold (2006) in bringing the cup to WA.”

In a press conference, Eagles CEO Don Pyke appeared to take Simpson by surprise when he said the club wanted him to coach a farewell game this weekend when West Coast play the Brisbane Lions in Perth on Sunday.

West Coast CEO Don Pyke said: “It was time. It was time for a change.

“It was time for a refresh of our program and to Adam’s great credit, he always puts the club first, he accepted that was going to be the position and he had no more to give.

“It’s important we pay respect for what he’s done for our club and recognise the wonderful contribution he’s made.

“With that in mind, we’ve requested Adam coach the side one final time this weekend. As much as today is the announcement of the finish, we’d love Adam to coach one more time.”

A surprised Simpson quipped: “We haven’t made that call just yet, Pykey if I was going to coach this week.”

Pyke replied: “We’d like you to.”

Pressed on whether he would coach in this weekend’s Round 18 game at Optus Stadium, Simpson said: “I just need to get through today, I’m not quite sure yet, we’ll work through that.”

Adam Simpson was blindsided by Don Pyke's public plea.

“Obviously a decision’s been made,” Simpson said of his tenure coming to an end.

“It’s mutual. I feel like the time’s right.

“I’ve been reasonably stoic over the past few years about the direction of the club. It’s a slow burn and it’s going to take a bit of time.”

Simpson backed the call for a new coach who can “come in with energy and gets to grow with the group”.

“I think it’s the right call,” he said. “That’s why we’re here together today.

“I feel like I’m retiring all over again,” Simpson added with a wry smile.

“The Disney Plus might get the flick kids, money’s going to dry up a little bit. Take my Visa card off your phone.”

Simpson, 48, said he still has “passion for the game” but acknowledged he “probably needs a break”.

“The sense of relief and a bit of sadness is what I feel at the moment and optimism for our playing group,” he added.

“I still think there’s some growth with this group we’ve got coming through.

“It’s going to take time but I’ve got a lot of confidence whoever takes over next is going to drive your standards and keep pushing you to get the best out of yourselves.

“Good luck for the future, I’ll be sitting in the stands watching.”

Simpson’s future is uncertain (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Rumours about Simpson’s future were swirling all day after Perth sports reporter Tim Gossage said on SEN Breakfast that Simpson’s fate was to be decided by the board on Tuesday.

Hours later, Simpson was gone.

Reports first emerged over the weekend that West Coast could look to part ways with Simpson, who had been contracted until the end of 2025.

It emerged earlier this week the Eagles were confronting a payout of around $1 million if it tore up Simpson’s contract early.

His position had been looking increasingly untenable recently as the club struggled near the bottom of the ladder and rumours of player unrest within the dressing room emerged.

Under Simpson, the Eagles have won only three games this season and eight since the start of the 2022 season, claiming the wooden spoon for the second time in the club’s history in 2023.

Speaking after the Eagles’ loss to the Demons on Sunday, Simpson said he wasn’t going anywhere unless the club acted first.

“We’re not on a linear path here,” he said. “We finished last (in 2023), so your expectations of us last year — I’m not sure what they were, but ours were ‘let’s just get better’.

“I don’t change. I’m here to do a job as best I can and I’ll do that until I get tapped on the shoulder.

“I sort of know how long the road’s going to be, I’m up for it, but if the club’s not then they’re not — that’s fine. I’m OK with my football mortality — it’s OK.”

Adam Simpson and Shannon Hurn of the Eagles hold up the premiership cup in 2018. Photo by Michael Dodge/AFL Media/Getty Images.

Footy legend Jonathan Brown said on Tuesday morning the Eagles’ “senior players” deserve some responsibility for the club’s downfall.

“The guys who were involved in 2018, that list, and obviously the current list. They were rewarded with fat contracts. They got fat and happy with themselves,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“And then standards dropped. And that’s all you hear about. If you’re not driving hard consistent standards, it’s hard to maintain high standards.”

West Coast has not announced its plans for who will be the club’s next coach.

Gossage said on Tuesday afternoon the club will have obvious coaching contenders to interview.

“The obvious choices are Dean Cox if they can prise him out of Sydney and there’s no guarantee that will happen but Don Pyke would be fully aware of that,” Gossage said on SEN.

“I think they’ll make the call to Geelong’s Chris Scott and see where he stands at Geelong.

“I think they’ll speak to Jaymie Graham who is a former assistant at West Coast and is now down at Fremantle as that intellectual property that Fremantle has clearly got at the moment would be a huge boost.

“There’s then Ash Hansen who is a premiership player at West Coast that has been involved at the Western Bulldogs and Carlton with quite a lot of success, as is starting to be proved this year with the Blues.”

The Eagles have also yet to announce who will serve as the interim coach in a caretaker role before their next coach takes over at the end of the season.

Originally published as Sacked West Coast coach Adam Simpson blindsided by Eagles offer in wild presser