Coach Adam Simpson Megathread est. 2017 - Skip to 2024: Simpson coaching tenure officially ends

[Miguel Sanchez]

In all honesty I expected us to compete more with a near full list which we have had apart from a Saturday.
Given the personnel in the team I expected us to have about 5 wins. I would've thought with the amount of experienced players and home ground advantage coming I to play we would win about 7 or 8 games for the year.

I didnt expect us to lose to saints and also to north especially.

McGovern
Duggan
Cole
Sheed
Hunt
Barrass
Yeo
Cripps
Ryan
Darling

All premiership players and experienced.

Kelly
Gaff
Witherden
Waterman
Petrucelli
Williams

All Experienced players

That's 14 "quality" players which is enough to have a decent team to mix the youth into.
Granted it's not enough to finish in the 8 and we rely heavily on them but we have had a hail Mary in ginbey and reid and waterman playing out of their skins to get wins and inspire the team.

Why?

We had a purple patch and beat Melbourne and Richmond and the dockers which were good wins.

Our away from is averaging 10 goal losses which is deplorable for that many experienced players in the side. So.eti.es we just haven't even shown up and competed at all like Adelaide game.

Our home form better but the last 2 losses have shown there is something seriously wrong. After losing to the saints. Was expecting a better attitude against North but it took 3 quarters for them to show up.

Simpson saying in His press conference he asked the players why they didn't play like that from the start is just deplorable.

If Simpson doesn't know how is the team expected to get any direction from him on how to fix it?

He just doesn't seem to know what he is doing and how to fix this and if there is any truth to the players being disgruntled about the selection of Hutchinson it seems to me to be another hail Mary he was relying on to inspire the team and get a win.

The wheel has turned.

It's time to move on

If you actually, legitimately expected us to have a 5-8 record going into the bye, you were always going to be disappointed.

It’s almost like you’re setting Simpson unrealistic and unachievable goals in order to justify calling for him to be given the arse.

 

[Smotie2]

If you actually, legitimately expected us to have a 5-8 record going into the bye, you were always going to be disappointed.

It’s almost like you’re setting Simpson unrealistic and unachievable goals in order to justify calling for him to be given the arse.

No I said 5 win to this point. And 7 to 8 wins for the year
If you think that's unrealistic for our list of 14 experienced players not Including Flynn and Allen then you're setting Simpson expectations too low.

Cheers

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

No I said 5 win to this point. And 7 to 8 wins for the year

Cheers

5 wins to this point would be a 5-8 record going into the bye?

 

[Keys]

I don’t think anyone believes Simpson should be the coach beyond 2025. Maybe there’s a few but they’d be the minority so it would take something extraordinary between now and the end of 2025 for that to change

His departure then becomes a question of timing

Last year was too early, primarily for financial reasons but also because there were significant changes elsewhere in the club so some stability was needed. The crippling injury list for 2022/23 also meant it was hard to get a genuine read on Simpson’s coaching

So the decision to retain him was sound from a business and football sense

This year there’s been a change in mindset across the club, driven I feel by Pyke, but embraced by Simpson and others

Our game plan has been stripped back to absolute basics - focus on winning the ball, get forward half entries and lock it in as best we can. By Simpson’s own admission, things like ball movement haven’t been ignored totally but it’s down the list of priorities

Essentially, it’s been about putting some foundation stones in place.

When our clearance/contested game has worked we’ve looked good but that’s been reliant on a full strength midfield in particular having Yeo, Kelly and Reid out there.

To me it looks like Simpson is there to steer this group through a challenging period in order for them to have some fundamentals in place ready for a new coach rather than have a new coach suffer with an inexperienced list. Basically he’s eating the sort of shit sandwich Yze is being served because Hardwick bailed early

Do we then persist with Simpson for another year in 2025, when his future will be a constant talking point, or rip the bandaid off at the end of this year and eat the hit to the soft cap for one year

Unless we get the sort of resurgence after the bye that Hawthorn have had over the last 6-7 weeks then I think it will be time for him to go

 

[darksquare]

Our game plan has been stripped back to absolute basics - focus on winning the ball, get forward half entries and lock it in as best we can. By Simpson’s own admission, things like ball movement haven’t been ignored totally but it’s down the list of priorities

It's a reasonable start from a very low base. But I'd really like to see more of a focus soon on stopping opposition ball movement. It's so hard to watch a team like North Melbourne evade our attempts to stop them doing whatever they want with the ball.

 

[Smotie2]

5 wins to this point would be a 5-8 record going into the bye?

I'm not doing the merry go round with ya mate.
Save it for someone else.

 

[Balls In]

Simpson should have gone in 2021 when the team collapsed from having a shot at top four. At that point it was clear the "burn the list down to get one more flag" strategy had bombed and that a long painful rebuild was ahead. That was the time we should have cleared house including the likes of Simpson who got us into this mess. We needed that cultural shift then.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

I'm not doing the merry go round with ya mate.
Save it for someone else.

Suit yourself. It’s hard for some people to admit they misunderstood something, even something small and insignificant.

But take yourself back to March as the season was about to start. If you sat there and said “We should have 5 wins from our first 13 games, any less and Simpson should be gone by the bye” then you may as well have said “Simpson should be gone by the bye” because there was approximately zero percent chance we’d be sitting here now with five wins.

 

[PremiershipNo4]

On ya bike Simmo!

 

[Jumpoff Joey]

It wasn't a sensible decision 6 or 12 months ago given the massive changes also going on at the club as well.

It is a sensible FOOTBALL decision now and the reduced hit it will be financially makes it more viable.

We can't keep going on with the results we are getting and need to move on more than ever before.

Simpson had this year with a reasonable injury list to compete and prove himself.
He hasn't.

No I said 5 win to this point. And 7 to 8 wins for the year
If you think that's unrealistic for our list of 14 experienced players not Including Flynn and Allen then you're setting Simpson expectations too low.

Cheers

I would say the majority at the beginning of the season would celebrate if we had 5 or more wins at the end of the season.

I had us finishing 18th, and with impressive showings against Sydney in part, Essendon and then sorting Freo + Melbourne. He has met pass mark this far.

I love how we have comments being the worst side in the history of the comp, but then suddenly steamroll the comp to be middle of the road after one season. We are coming from that far back IMO.

So the question is, where do you legitimately see us? And for me, I dont see a side that be competitive consistently until another couple of seasons.

 

[Dark Sharks]

 

[Smotie2]

I would say the majority at the beginning of the season would celebrate if we had 5 or more wins at the end of the season.

I had us finishing 18th, and with impressive showings against Sydney in part, Essendon and then sorting Freo + Melbourne. He has met pass mark this far.

I love how we have comments being the worst side in the history of the comp, but then suddenly steamroll the comp to be middle of the road after one season. We are coming from that far back IMO.

So the question is, where do you legitimately see us? And for me, I dont see a side that be competitive consistently until another couple of seasons.

For me the wins against Fremantle, Melbourne and Richmond are the standard and should be the standard for our toughness and competitiveness.
The team showed what it can do when it decides to pull it's collective finger out.

Not expecting us to make the finals given our youth in the team.

What I am expecting is us to show up and play with I intent and compete every games.

This team including the senior players that should know better choose when to show up and when not to.

That is the biggest problem for us and Simpson clearly doesn't know how to fix this based on his comment in the press conference.

The problem then becomes a coaching one.

I said earlier in the season I don't care who coaches us as long as we compete and are committed to the cause. We clearly aren't and choose when to be and when not to be.

This clearly means we need Simpson to start firing rockets under players and fixing it or as history has shown if he can't do that, it's time to replace him.

 

[Dark Sharks]

 

[Smotie2]

Suit yourself. It’s hard for some people to admit they misunderstood something, even something small and insignificant.

But take yourself back to March as the season was about to start. If you sat there and said “We should have 5 wins from our first 13 games, any less and Simpson should be gone by the bye” then you may as well have said “Simpson should be gone by the bye” because there was approximately zero percent chance we’d be sitting here now with five wins.

And yet we could have beaten saints and north easily if we competed properly and had 5 wins so your zero percent chance is wrong isn't it?

 

[Grahame]

Simpson saying in His press conference he asked the players why they didn't play like that from the start is just deplorable.

Yep I agree. Simmo needs to be more of a dictator.

I mean asking players things? Asking them why they think they played badly? My god what a softc**k!

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

And yet we could have beaten saints and north easily if we competed properly and had 5 wins so your zero percent chance is wrong isn't it?

Not doing the merry go round with you, champ. Save it for someone else.

 

[MerryHell]

I don’t think anyone believes Simpson should be the coach beyond 2025. Maybe there’s a few but they’d be the minority so it would take something extraordinary between now and the end of 2025 for that to change

His departure then becomes a question of timing

Last year was too early, primarily for financial reasons but also because there were significant changes elsewhere in the club so some stability was needed. The crippling injury list for 2022/23 also meant it was hard to get a genuine read on Simpson’s coaching

So the decision to retain him was sound from a business and football sense

This year there’s been a change in mindset across the club, driven I feel by Pyke, but embraced by Simpson and others

Our game plan has been stripped back to absolute basics - focus on winning the ball, get forward half entries and lock it in as best we can. By Simpson’s own admission, things like ball movement haven’t been ignored totally but it’s down the list of priorities

Essentially, it’s been about putting some foundation stones in place.

When our clearance/contested game has worked we’ve looked good but that’s been reliant on a full strength midfield in particular having Yeo, Kelly and Reid out there.

To me it looks like Simpson is there to steer this group through a challenging period in order for them to have some fundamentals in place ready for a new coach rather than have a new coach suffer with an inexperienced list. Basically he’s eating the sort of shit sandwich Yze is being served because Hardwick bailed early

Do we then persist with Simpson for another year in 2025, when his future will be a constant talking point, or rip the bandaid off at the end of this year and eat the hit to the soft cap for one year

Unless we get the sort of resurgence after the bye that Hawthorn have had over the last 6-7 weeks then I think it will be time for him to go

Nicely said.

Another point of consideration I've been mulling.

We had a really tough draw to start the year, and we outperformed with excellent wins against Tiges, Dockers and Dees.

Then we were all looking forward to an easier patch against Crows, Saints, Kangas.

The players seem to have thought this as well... not going in as hard or looking as sharp over the last 3 "easier" games.

If we played with the same intent in our 3 wins against the Saints and Kangas, we would have smashed them.

Let's see how the players bounce back after the rest, and they certainly won't be taking it easy into the Dons game.

From a coaching PoV, it is pissing me off that we seem too tall and too slow (gaff and sheed out please). At one point on the weekend, ball in our defensive half, and our 3 forwards were Bailey, Waterman, Darling ?!? No crumbers or ground speed, so the ball just bounces back. These things can be fixed easily at the selection table.

 

[Tugga27]

And yet we could have beaten saints and north easily if we competed properly and had 5 wins so your zero percent chance is wrong isn't it?

Taking that logic, we weren't expected to beat Freo or Melbourne either so 3 wins at they bye and a percentage in the seventies is probably slightly over par.

 

[Monocle]

If he persists with the player selections that he has been going with, then I want him gone at seasons end.

I can cop the losses if the kids fall short, HOWEVER, it’s the selections of Sheed and Gaff that do my head in.

Plus!

The reasoning behind playing Barrass , Gov and H Edwards against North is a a real *ing head scratcher to me.

We go too tall across the forward line and backline and then act surprised when we get beaten with ground ball contests.

I would rather get games into any of Johnston, Hall, Burgiel, Trew and Deware than have to watch the lazy running and ineffectiveness of Sheed.

Simpson keeps backing his go to players and that’s a point that’s really starting to grind me.

I was against moving him on at the end of last season, purely because I felt we would just be setting a new coach up to fail.

But the evolution of our game plan and game day management, or lack thereof, is a point of frustration and annoyance to me.

I also think he is just way too slow and conservative on game day to make moves and be counterproductive.

He is a stubborn bastard and sometimes in life a persons greatest strength can become their greatest weakness.

I think this may well be the case with Simpson.

 

[Tugga27]

I don’t think anyone believes Simpson should be the coach beyond 2025. Maybe there’s a few but they’d be the minority so it would take something extraordinary between now and the end of 2025 for that to change

His departure then becomes a question of timing

Last year was too early, primarily for financial reasons but also because there were significant changes elsewhere in the club so some stability was needed. The crippling injury list for 2022/23 also meant it was hard to get a genuine read on Simpson’s coaching

So the decision to retain him was sound from a business and football sense

This year there’s been a change in mindset across the club, driven I feel by Pyke, but embraced by Simpson and others

Our game plan has been stripped back to absolute basics - focus on winning the ball, get forward half entries and lock it in as best we can. By Simpson’s own admission, things like ball movement haven’t been ignored totally but it’s down the list of priorities

Essentially, it’s been about putting some foundation stones in place.

When our clearance/contested game has worked we’ve looked good but that’s been reliant on a full strength midfield in particular having Yeo, Kelly and Reid out there.

To me it looks like Simpson is there to steer this group through a challenging period in order for them to have some fundamentals in place ready for a new coach rather than have a new coach suffer with an inexperienced list. Basically he’s eating the sort of shit sandwich Yze is being served because Hardwick bailed early

Do we then persist with Simpson for another year in 2025, when his future will be a constant talking point, or rip the bandaid off at the end of this year and eat the hit to the soft cap for one year

Unless we get the sort of resurgence after the bye that Hawthorn have had over the last 6-7 weeks then I think it will be time for him to go

For Simmo to keep his job next year, I think we need to jag another 2 games, keep the smashings down and have a percentage in the 70's.

A season with 5 wins and a 20% increase in percentage is basically what a lot hoped, expected.

What I find amusing, is that when we upset a side like Freo or Melbourne, everything is hunky dory.
Lose two most expected us to win, and he should get the arse.

Probably best wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds.

 

[Avalor]

It's a reasonable start from a very low base. But I'd really like to see more of a focus soon on stopping opposition ball movement. It's so hard to watch a team like North Melbourne evade our attempts to stop them doing whatever they want with the ball.

For that we need more pace in the team - means getting rid of plodders like Sheed and Gaff. Mantra - no speed, no play!
The 2 Edwards boys are also too slow for the modern game. I really like Culley, but his lack of speed also worries me.
With the frenetic pace of the game now, you need speed everywhere, across all lines, or you get exposed by runners.

 

[the harry]

In all honesty I expected us to compete more with a near full list which we have had apart from a Saturday.
Given the personnel in the team I expected us to have about 5 wins. I would've thought with the amount of experienced players and home ground advantage coming I to play we would win about 7 or 8 games for the year.

I didnt expect us to lose to saints and also to north especially.

McGovern
Duggan
Cole
Sheed
Hunt
Barrass
Yeo
Cripps
Ryan
Darling

All premiership players and experienced.

Kelly
Gaff
Witherden
Waterman
Petrucelli
Williams

All Experienced players

That's 14 "quality" players which is enough to have a decent team to mix the youth into.
Granted it's not enough to finish in the 8 and we rely heavily on them but we have had a hail Mary in ginbey and reid and waterman playing out of their skins to get wins and inspire the team.

Why?

We had a purple patch and beat Melbourne and Richmond and the dockers which were good wins.

Our away from is averaging 10 goal losses which is deplorable for that many experienced players in the side. So.eti.es we just haven't even shown up and competed at all like Adelaide game.

Our home form better but the last 2 losses have shown there is something seriously wrong. After losing to the saints. Was expecting a better attitude against North but it took 3 quarters for them to show up.

Simpson saying in His press conference he asked the players why they didn't play like that from the start is just deplorable.

If Simpson doesn't know how is the team expected to get any direction from him on how to fix it?

He just doesn't seem to know what he is doing and how to fix this and if there is any truth to the players being disgruntled about the selection of Hutchinson it seems to me to be another hail Mary he was relying on to inspire the team and get a win.

The wheel has turned.

It's time to move on

I don't think you can describe all those players as quality. They may have once been good but for some it's been 3 years years consistent good footy (gaff, sheed, and darling) while others have never really put together a full season previously (petch and Waterman) or are clearly deficient (Williams and I'd argue Witho). That's half the players you've listed.

We might still snag a couple in the run home and if we end up with 5+ wins and a percentage north of 70% I'd say it's not a bad effort.

Also, putting it on the players and asking them to identify why things didn't work is not inherently bad coaching. Successful sides need to be player driven.

 

[Boohemian]

If you actually, legitimately expected us to have a 5-8 record going into the bye, you were always going to be disappointed.

It’s almost like you’re setting Simpson unrealistic and unachievable goals in order to justify calling for him to be given the arse.

I don't understand why it has to come back to expectations set at the start of the year. Why must we temper expectations based on expectations set at the start of the year when it's perfectly reasonable to recalibrate based on results in the season proper?

Based on the earlier results, it's not unreasonable that we should have taken care of St Kilda and Norf. It that comes to fruition, we could very well be sitting with 5 wins leading into the bye. Hell, we could have even rolled Essendon at home.

I feel like you're giving an easy out to pull it back to expectations set at the start of the year. With a good run with injuries, this side is better than what had been served up over the previous 2 years.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

I don't understand why it has to come back to expectations set at the start of the year. Why must we temper expectations based on expectations set at the start of the year when it's perfectly reasonable to recalibrate based on results in the season proper?

Based on the earlier results, it's not unreasonable that we should have taken care of St Kilda and Norf. It that comes to fruition, we could very well be sitting with 5 wins leading into the bye. Hell, we could have even rolled Essendon at home.

I feel like you're giving an easy out to pull it back to expectations set at the start of the year. With a good run with injuries, this side is better than what had been served up over the previous 2 years.

Because improvement is rarely linear.

 

[Bender_]

I'm not a huge fan on reverting back to the expectations from the preseason. I for one was hoping for 5 wins for the year - I didn't go through the fixture and choose which ones I thought they'd be.

After seeing some massive improvement in the wins and the 2 losses to Sydney and Essendon my expectations changed and I thought we should easily have accounted for St Kilda and North. The losses to these 2 have been massively deflating for me and really have illustrated how paper thin our midfield depth is more than anything else.

I don't want Simpson sacked right now, i don't think it'd be ideal. I do however want to see a focus on youth getting games instead of the slow, aging veterans that don't look up to it. I also want to see a serious lift in intensity from the team on game day. If these things don't come I'd like to see him move on by the end of the year.