PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 12: Andrew Gaff of the Eagles looks dejected after a loss during the 2023 AFL Round 09 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Gold Coast Suns at Optus Stadium on May 12, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos)
Simpson stays on as Eagles coach despite the wooden spoon.
Adam Simpson will remain as West Coast coach after the AFL club’s board “unanimously agreed” to keep him in the position.
Simpson was expected to be fired after the Eagles finished worst in the league this season and won only five games in the previous two years.
This year’s wooden spoon campaign was especially dismal, as the Eagles lost five games by more than 100 points.
The worst result was a 171-point loss against Sydney in round 15.
However, with Simpson under contract until the end of 2025, cutting ties with him now would have been a costly exercise for West Coast.
Simpson’s $800,000-a-season deal coupled with the AFL’s luxury tax meant the Eagles faced a payout approaching $6 million if they decided to axe him.
West Coast’s board met on Monday, with the Eagles releasing a statement confirming Simpson would stay on as coach.
“At the meeting today the board unanimously agreed that Adam will remain as senior coach,” Eagles chairman Paul Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
