- Adam Simpson has turned down West Coast’s offer
- He was fired by the club on Monday
- But he turned down the chance to coach one last game
Adam Simpson has opted not to play a farewell match against West Coast, meaning interim coach Jarrad Schofield will attend Sunday’s match against Brisbane at Optus Stadium.
On Monday night, Simpson was told the Eagles wanted to make a fresh start with a new coach, but they were given the option to play a farewell game.
The 2018 Premier League championship manager politely declined that offer on Wednesday.
Instead, Simpson will be honoured on the pitch at Optus Stadium ahead of Sunday’s first round match, giving the public a chance to show their support for the man who led the club to the 2018 championship.
“I look forward to recognizing the tremendous support I have received from our members and fans over the past 11 years,” Simpson said in a statement.
‘They have been fantastic from the day I arrived and they have stayed with us.
“It’s easy to come every week when things are going well, but during the tough times of the last three years they kept supporting us. They are the best.”
Schofield has been Simpson’s assistant for the past three years.
Adam Simpson has turned down a surprise offer from the West Coast Eagles
He was asked to coach the team for the final time before Sunday’s match against Brisbane
He also led WAFL club Subiaco to the flags in 2014, 2015 and 2018.
Former Eagles ruckman Dean Cox is the leading contender to replace Simpson on a full-time basis, with Schofield, Ash Hansen and Jaymie Graham among many others who could be in contention.
West Coast is undergoing the biggest renovation in the club’s history.
They have worked hard in the draft over the past few seasons, signing the likes of Harley Reid, Reuben Ginbey, Brady Hough, Clay Hall, Elijah Hewett, Callum Jamieson, Noah Long and Jack Williams.
While the hardest part of the rebuild is behind us, there is still much more to be done before the Eagles can once again become a Finals fixture.
“I feel like whoever the new coach is, the platform is there,” Simpson said.
‘It just evolves. You don’t stay down too long.
‘Whoever chooses this job, I think this is the best club in the league.’
The arrival of No. 1 draft pick Reid and the return of Elliot Yeo to the top of the league saw West Coast revived earlier this year.
Surprise wins over Richmond, Fremantle and Melbourne left fans expecting the team to rise from the ashes sooner than expected.
But the stark reality of West Coast’s plight has been highlighted during the club’s current six-game losing streak, which began with a 99-point defeat to Adelaide and has more recently included close losses to Hawthorn and Melbourne.
West Coast (3-13) still looks set to capture their second consecutive wooden spoon.
Simpson was grilled by Don Pyke in an uncomfortable exchange on Monday
But after Collingwood’s dramatic revival under Craig McRae following the departure of coach Nathan Buckley in 2021, Simpson says there’s no reason why the tide can’t turn quickly for West Coast.
“When Bucks left, they certainly didn’t talk about Collingwood in the same way they do now,” Simpson said.
‘It’s a very exciting competition. It’s never as good or as bad as it seems.
“I’m optimistic about our players and what they can do.”
On the injury front, West Coast midfielder Hewett is out for the rest of the season with a new foot injury.
Defender Jeremy McGovern is out on Sunday with a broken rib and a punctured lung, but Matt Flynn (ankle) and Dom Sheed (hamstring) are in with a chance of returning.