Why West Coast Eagles would be mad to sack head coach Adam Simpson despite club’s worst season ever
Revealed: The stunning reason why West Coast would be crazy to fire coach Adam Simpson despite the Eagles’ worst season in club history
- West Coast Eagles will not move Adam Simpson
- Would cost the embattled club a whopping $7 million
- Fans fed up with wanting Simpson gone, wooden spoon beckons
- Last weekend 171 points were hammered by Swans
The West Coast Eagles have a very good reason not to fire Adam Simpson, despite the fact that the club endured its worst season ever under the embattled head coach.
Plenty of fed up supporters have called for Simpson to be dropped, but it can now be revealed that the team would get an incredible payout if it did, as the AFL luxury tax is a whopping 200 percent on anything that spends $500,000 over the soft cap.
That means if the Eagles fired Simpson, it would cost them a whopping $7 million — and that’s not taking into account what West Coast would then have to pay for his replacement, according to Channel Seven.
Simpson’s team is almost certain of the wooden spoon as they have only won this campaign once.
Losing to the Swans by 171 points last weekend at the SCG was the final straw for some fans – but according to skipper Luke Shuey, Simpson shouldn’t be the trap.
Struggling West Coast Eagles unlikely to fire head coach Adam Simpson – despite the club’s nightmare season in 2023
Captain Luke Shuey (centre, after last weekend’s loss to the Swans) pointed out that Simpson ‘isn’t the one who gets 200 points on the field’
“We’re in this together,” he said. “We’re behind him.
‘What can he do from the coaching box? … Adam is not the one who collects 200 points on the field.’
Simpson has a contract until the end of 2025 and the club is publicly supporting him to continue coaching after the current crisis.
The 47-year-old – who was a respected figure with Eagles fans after winning a premiership in 2018 – says he understands the call for change.
“No one likes what happened over the weekend, and no one hurts more than me. So I understand the frustration,” Simpson said.
“I just know how big the journey is and how big the job is. ‘It’s not an easy one. It’s not for everyone. So you have to be able to get some bumps and bruises along the way.
“I am not in the depths of despair. I knew the journey we’re on is a big one.
The Eagles were thrashed by 171 points at the SCG (pictured) last weekend, which was the final straw for some fans
“We didn’t want a game like that (against Sydney), or the game we had against Adelaide (a 122-point loss), but we did it.
“So it’s about how resilient you can be and what you can do to get out of it. It’s not a quick fix.’
Simpson added that it is crucial that he builds the trust of the beleaguered playing group.
“We have to get them fit and available and get the best out of them. That’s my priority,” he said.
The Eagles have a chance to earn back some respect on Sunday July 2 when they host St Kilda at Optus Stadium.