By Justin Chadwick, Anna Harrington, Oliver Caffrey and Shayne Hope
AFL coaches around the league have expressed their love and admiration for Adam Simpson, with the departing West Coast mentor described as a class act and someone worth cherishing.
West Coast informed Simpson on Monday night that the club will bring in a new coach.
Supporters have said Simpson should leave West Coast with a sense of pride in his many achievements and his positive impact on others. Credit: Getty Images
The 2018 premiership coach has decided not to coach a farewell match against Brisbane at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Interim coach Jarrad Schofield will take the reins.
Less than 24 hours after the news of his impending departure dropped, coaches from around the league have tipped their hats to Simpson.
Justin Longmuir worked under Simpson for four years at West Coast before moving to Collingwood and eventually landing the top job at Fremantle.
Such is Longmuir’s respect for Simpson, he didn’t even want to talk about the possible replacements, instead using his weekly press conference to praise Simpson.
“I’m very thankful for my time working with him,” Longmuir said.
“I took a lot from the way he set the environment up, the way he coached, the way he educated, tactics.”
West Coast have won just eight of their past 65 games, and are still in the early stages of the biggest rebuild in the club’s history.
No club was hit harder than West Coast by injuries and illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Longmuir said he had felt for Simpson through these challenges and hoped people would remember the earlier days, with instant success, a grand final in his second year, and winning a flag.
“The impact he’s had on a lot of young men, a lot of coaches around him, me being one of them [has been significant],” he said.
“He should walk out really proud.”
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said he would touch base with Simpson as a show of support as it was always sad to see a senior coach depart a club.
“Obviously for Adam it’s not necessarily a sad day, it should be a celebration of what he’s contributed to that footy club,” he said.
“He’s a very stable person and he’s been a great coach … one that they’ll cherish when they look back.”
Craig McRae praised the way Simpson handled his exit.
“It’s hard to watch one of your other coaches lose his job,” the Collingwood coach said.
“An incredible record. He’s a class act.”
Essendon coach Brad Scott said it was hard for coaches to live up to fans’ expectations in an environment where the AFL tried to promote competitive balance, creating a scenario where theoretically every team would win a premiership once every 18 years.
“But I’m pretty sure the fans and clubs don’t have that expectation, they’ve got higher expectations.
“[Simpson] is a great person … he’s been a great coach, he was a great player, and he’s given a lot to football.”