Adam Simpson in excruciating press conference after AFL hammering
The West Coast Eagles coach has come under immense pressure following his side's record thrashing at the hands of Sydney last weekend.
West Coast Eagles coach Adam Simpson has vowed he is the man for the job in a brutal press conference days after the club's 171-point thrashing at the hands of the Sydney Swans. The Eagles, mired in the bottom two of the AFL ladder for almost the entirety of the the past two seasons, have faced called to sack Simpson - but the 2018 premiership coach insists he is there to say for the foreseeable future.
Conceding that the side 'needs to lift' after the woeful effort against the Swans, in which they conceded a record-equalling 31 goals, Simpson refused to back down when it came to his own future with the Eagles. Nevertheless, Simpson said he could 'understand' why the criticism had been so fierce.
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Even if West Coast did decide they needed to part ways with Simpson, it's not as simple as giving him the flick, paying out his contract and moving on. The veteran coach's contract runs until the end of the 2025 season, which would reportedly cost roughly $2.5 million to pay out.
Additionally, clubs cannot go over the AFL's 'soft cap' of $500,000 for the season for off-field staff, including coaches - with any excesses taxed at 200%. That means not only would the eye-watering payment to Simpson hit the club's finances, the subsequent tax payment to the AFL would leave the bill at roughly $7 million, according to Channel 7's Tom Browne.
“You’ve got to get on with it really. I’m not in the depths in despair of it all. I knew the journey that we’re on is a big one,” Simpson said.
“We didn’t want a game like that or the game we had against Adelaide but we have. It’s about how resilient can you be and what can you get out of it. It’s not a quick fix.”
West Coast have once again been slammed with injuries in 2023, but have slowly seen several players from their 2018 premiership team return to the park. Simpson insisted getting the Eagles back on track, let alone into a potentially premiership-contending position, would not be an overnight prospect.
Adam Simpson vows Eagles will be more competitive after thrashing
Simpson also rejected suggestions those senior players were not coasting safe in the knowledge they'd get a game, arguing they were more worried about their selection each week than many others. He also hit back at suggestions the club's head of fitness Warren Kofoed, whose departure was announced this week, was a 'scapegoat' for their lengthy injury list.
“You don’t know (how long it will take). At the moment it looks like we’re in despair, doesn’t it? I can understand after the weekend’s performance everyone’s criticism,” he said.
“Whenever we talk and I talk, we’re talking to our fans and our members and we appreciate the poor performance was unacceptable and the Adelaide game was almost as bad. You get what your deserve, I’m fully aware of that.
“The fix is not a clean one, it’s a long-term. Getting players available, getting experience into younger players and getting our senior players to play to their potential, that’s my job and I’ll keep chasing that for as long as I can.
"We need to get the players confident, we need to get them fit, available and get the best out of them. That’s my priority, not how I’m travelling.”
“No one likes what happened on the weekend. No one’s hurting more than me. I understand the frustration.”
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