West Coast Eagles coach Adam Simpson says he’s “fairly embarrassed” after his aspect’s 171-point loss, however maintains he’s the fitting particular person for the job shifting ahead.
Simpson’s aspect suffered the largest loss in its historical past and the fourth-biggest loss ever recorded within the VFL/AFL, including to a season of horror defeats for the 2018 premiers.
Regardless of being contracted till the top of 2025, Simpson’s position has come beneath exterior scrutiny in West Australia, with that strain solely set to accentuate after Saturday’s defeat on the SCG to Sydney.
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“We tried numerous issues, however none of them labored,” Simpson mentioned in a post-match press convention that lasted simply over 5 minutes.
“From begin to end, we have been on the again foot. We couldn’t achieve any sort of ascendancy in any respect and ultimately we obtained what we deserved.”
The 47-year-old admitted he was “flat” after the loss, however mentioned the difficulty was larger than his personal way of thinking.
Requested straight if he felt he was the fitting particular person to guide the aspect ahead, he replied: “Sure … What did you suppose I’d say?”
Simpson mentioned the highway forward would proceed to be difficult, however competitiveness was a non-negotiable.
That competitiveness was laborious to search out on Saturday by his personal admission.
“Exposing the children, leaders taking part in in addition to they’ll, being aggressive, they’ll must be aggressive at coaching in the mean time, as a result of in the mean time in-game we’re nowhere close to it,” he mentioned.
It now seems all-but sure the Eagles will end on the underside of the AFL ladder at season’s finish, behind Seventeenth-placed North Melbourne by a recreation and vital proportion.
The damage and availability disaster when mixed with underperforming veterans, Simpson mentioned, have been a recipe for catastrophe.
“We’re on a journey and that is the midst of the pit we’re in. We’ve simply going to maintain turning up, to be trustworthy,” he mentioned.
“In the present day was actually disappointing … we uncovered some youngsters who simply in all probability aren’t fairly prepared for AFL and a few of our senior gamers have been beneath their greatest.
“Whenever you get that mixture, plus a pair extra accidents, you get a recreation like in the present day. We’ve obtained to regroup and get on with it.”
Initially printed as Adam Simpson’s blunt press convention after Eagles’ horror report loss
