Eagles CEO Trevor Nisbett announces his 2024 exit.
Trevor Nisbett, outgoing West Coast chief executive, believes his decision to quit the club next year was unrelated to the employment of coach Adam Simpson.
Nisbett, who was appointed West Coast’s football manager in 1989 and became the club’s CEO ten years later, said on Wednesday that he will resign at the conclusion of next season.
The Eagles have already started looking for a new CEO, albeit the exact date of Nisbett’s departure has yet to be determined.
During Nisbett’s 34 years at West Coast, the club won four flags, competed in seven grand finals, made 24 finals appearances, and grew to over 100,000 members.
However, his status has come under increased scrutiny in the last two years, following the Eagles’ spectacular fall from prominence.
West Coast only won two games in 2022 and received the wooden spoon this season after a terrible three-win campaign.
There has been widespread speculation that Nisbett or Simpson, or both, may be fired.
Simpson appeared to be gone following the club’s 101-point loss to Fremantle in round 22, the club’s seventh triple-figure defeat of the season.
However, a hard-fought win over the Western Bulldogs a week later, as well as a wave of fan support, persuaded the board to keep Simpson, who is under contract until 2025.
Nisbett stated that he had been discussing his own future with the board for some months, and that his decision to depart next year had nothing to do with Simpson’s continued employment.
“They are not linked. They’ve never been linked, despite appearing to be linked at times,” Nisbett added.
“My time is now, so it’s time to go.”
Nisbett was instrumental in steering West Coast out of the mire when their destructive off-field culture in the early 2000s, highlighted by the high-profile demise of stars such as Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr, eventually caught up with them.
More recently, Nisbett had to deal with the Willie Rioli case, in which he was banned for two years for tampering with a urine sample during two consecutive drug tests in 2019.
“They’re awful things to have to deal with,” Nisbett said of the off-the-field issues.
“Some of our staff, including myself, have had to deal with those issues on a weekly, monthly, and sometimes yearly basis.”
“There have been moments when we’ve had to start over because of blunders.
“After 2007, we pared back. After finishing last in 2010, we revamped the team, and our results improved.
“I’m proud of the things we’ve been able to bounce back from.”
