Coach Simpson’s final years - What went wrong

[Keys]

Or...we could just let people talk about what they want to and if you don't want to read it then don't click on the thread?

This

If people want to trudge over old ground they can but I transferred the initial chat from the 2025 coach thread so that people could avoid it if they want by simply not clicking on the thread

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Family drama? Pretty certain is was a family medical situation with one of his children.

Pretty sure I remember the words family drama or very similar somewhere. Maybe Simpson's Wikipedia page.

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

What Simmo achieved from 2014 to 2019 was outstanding. He came up with the web and took us to a GF from out of nowhere. Once that got figured out, rebooted the game-style and won the flag in 2018.

And in 2019 things were going swimmingly right up until Willie decided to put some Gatorade in a bottle. And even then, if only the heavens hadn't opened up in the second half of the Richmond game, history may have been entirely different.

It was at this point that it all started going south. Selling the farm for Kelly. Followed by Covid. And god knows what happened in the hubs, but we handled it as poorly as any of the 18 clubs. That really was the beginning of the end for Simpson. But he was outstanding up until then.

Are you for real? No way in the world did Simpson formulate the web.

 

[Astro7]

Whatever went wrong in the Simpson era, will probably become more apparent with the passing of time, over the next season or three? At this stage, it seems a lot of contributing factors in and out of his control...but to allow the slide to go on for so long without any major pulling of levers, suggests everyone was fat and comfortable in their positions from admin down...Simmo included. Optus, Covid, record membership, all contributed...perhaps mucho drinking the club bathwater, mucho figjam? Got drunk on all the good culture, and forgot to rock up?

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Teams that are successful often have assistant coaches poached.

Teams that are successful often can’t maintain it.

Stop the presses.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Teams that are successful often have assistant coaches poached.

Teams that are successful often can’t maintain it.

Stop the presses.

What it shows is Simpson couldn't get it done himself though and that he relied on the assistant coaches, who were poached by other teams to help him greatly. Hawthorn won the flag the year Beveridge left - 2015

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Is there any other premiership coach you’d say that about? That his team won a flag in spite of him, not because of him?

I’ll bet there isn’t. Because flags are bloody difficult to win, you need a shitload of things to go right, and the idea of a side winning one with a coach that’s a liability is completely fanciful.

But Nima gonna Nima I guess.

No problem at all. Robert Walls. The same guy who picked us to win the wooden spoon in 2018. BTW what's a Nima?

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

What it shows is Simpson couldn't get it done himself though and that he relied on the assistant coaches, who were poached by other teams to help him greatly. Hawthorn won the flag the year Beveridge left - 2015

But Brendan Bolton was still there. He left at the end of 2015 and Hawthorn were never the same under Clarkson.

Therefore Bolton is responsible for the threepeat. By your logic.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

No problem at all. Robert walls. The same guy who picked us to win the wooden spoon in 2018. BTW what's a Nima?

So you’ve got to go back to 1987 for another example, and the reason you’re including him is because of something he said 30 years later.

Think I’ve made my point, Nima.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Tim Gepp was responsible for all our premierships.

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

So you’ve got to go back to 1987 for another example, and the reason you’re including him is because of something he said 30 years later.

You said I couldn't name someone and now you're shifting the goalposts to say it's too long ago?? You're clearly very ... what's the word ... special. Also, what he said 30 years later had nothing to do with my decision it was purely added as an aside.

Think I’ve made my point, Nima.

You keep saying Nima. I've done a search for that username to examine their posts to see if there's any similarity to mine that would make you think I'm them but can't find anyone with that name. Whoever it is they're clearly living rent free in your head. What happened? Did they do a number on you? Others have called me Peter Sumich and someone even called me Mrs Sumich. Pretty juvenile really.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Yeah but rather than point out what was so wrong with the idea or rebut any of the points in my post you just made a stupid joke.

Why hasn't Suma been appointed by any other AFL club?

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

You said I couldn't name someone and now you're shifting the goalposts to say it's too long ago?? You're clearly very ... what's the word ... special. Also, what he said 30 years later had nothing to do with my decision it was purely added as an aside.



You keep saying Nima. I've done a search for that username to examine their posts to see if there's any similarity to mine that would make you think I'm them but can't find anyone with that name. Whoever it is they're clearly living rent free in your head. What happened? Did they do a number on you? Others have called me Peter Sumich and someone even called me Mrs Sumich. Pretty juvenile really.

Okay then. Why was Walls a hindrance to the 1987 Carlton premiership side? Bearing in mind he had - 115-1-83 record by the time he left Carlton, including a winning record over five years at Fitzroy (I think he might have been the last Fitzroy coach to be over .500?)

Nima started asserting we should have picked Sumich over Simpson immediately after the fourth game of Simpson’s coaching career (bearing in mind we won the first three), went very quiet in 2015, bounced back in 2016 insisting Pyke was the brains behind the operation, went very quiet again in 2018, then bounced back again in 2019 insisting Mitchell was the brains behind the operation.

Can’t imagine why I’ve linked the two of you.

 

[amazingjoshy]

It went wrong right from the start - when he was appointed. It should have been Sumich.

Don't start giving me fairy stories about 2018. The players won that in spite of Simpson, not because of him. Proof of that is that in the second round of that year the boys had one of their best away wins of the season with Simpson at home attending to a family drama and forwards coach Jaymie Graham at the helm. This is after Simpson coached them to a thumping loss at home in round 1. Don't forget that had Simpson had his way, Sheed would've been off the ground in the final few minutes of the grand final. Sheed refused to do so and went forward creating an extra unmarked player down there. Inspiring from him, no thanks to Simpson.

The state of the club now is a definitely a part of Simpsons legacy at the club. No amount of excuses (blaming covid, hubs, inuuries etc) will change the fact that he was undoubtedly kept on for too long and allowed the club to decsend into the mess it has been the last couple of years

But its also true that Simmos a premiership coach and no amount of mental gymnastics is going to change that. To suggest we made the wrong call appointing him in the first place after he went on to coach a side to 2 GFs and one flag in 6 years is so mind numbingly stupid it's actually funny

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Okay then. Why was Walls a hindrance to the 1987 Carlton premiership side? Bearing in mind he had - 115-1-83 record by the time he left Carlton, including a winning record over five years at Fitzroy (I think he might have been the last Fitzroy coach to be over .500?)

His overall winning percentage was 46.97%. Not too many have had lower than that. When he went to Carlton in 1986 they were a side that had had back to back premierships in 1981 & '82 under Parkin and played in finals in '83, '84 & '85. John Elliot was impatient for another flag so Parkin went and in came Walls leaving many scratching their heads. Walls immediately benefited from an injection of quality interstate players like Craig Bradley and Stephen Kearnahan. Similar to the Eagles in 2018 Carlton was able to get up and take the 1987 flag in spite of their crap coach. Carlton eventually realised their mistake in appointing Walls and got rid of him during their worst season in 24 years in 1989, replacing him with the man they should never have fired in the first place - Parkin. They quickly became a mainstay in the finals again and became the first team to win 20 matches in a home and away season in 1995 finishing 20-2 and then going on to win the grand final.

Meanwhile Walls had gone to the Bears in 1991 where he'll forever be remembered for instructing eight of his Bears players to circle the recently recruited Shane Strempel and take turns beating the crap out of him. The players did what they were told until Brad Hardie called a stop to it, telling Walls “we’d better stop or we’ll kill him”.

With a string of utter garbage seasons under his belt, Walls was told half way during the 1995 season that he would not be reappointed as coach. Buoyed by this news, the Bears players went on to win seven of their next eight games and take the club to their first ever finals series.

He moved to Richmond the following year where he lasted just one & a half seasons before being forced to permanently retire.

Nima started asserting we should have picked Sumich over Simpson immediately after the fourth game of Simpson’s coaching career (bearing in mind we won the first three), went very quiet in 2015, bounced back in 2016 insisting Pyke was the brains behind the operation, went very quiet again in 2018, then bounced back again in 2019 insisting Mitchell was the brains behind the operation.

So your last interaction with him was 5 years ago and you're still thinking about him? What's his exact username so I can look at these posts of his that have so cruelly tormented you.

 

[squashface]

I'm so tired

 

[ioppolo]

Going back to the web, it was Schofield himself on his podcast that said the defenders and Hickmott came up with it and Simmo had nothing to do with it initially. Apparently Sam Butler took some convincing on the web thing fwiw.

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

The state of the club now is a definitely a part of Simpsons legacy at the club. No amount of excuses (blaming covid, hubs, inuuries etc) will change the fact that he was undoubtedly kept on for too long and allowed the club to decsend into the mess it has been the last couple of years

But its also true that Simmos a premiership coach and no amount of mental gymnastics is going to change that.

Walls was a pathetic coach (worse than Simmo even) but his star studded 1987 side won the flag that year so he is technically a premiership coach. Probably the worst premiership coach ever.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

His overall winning percentage was 46.97%. Not too many have had lower than that. When he went to Carlton in 1986 they were a side that had had back to back premierships in 1981 & '82 under Parkin and played in finals in '83, '84 & '85. John Elliot was impatient for another flag so Parkin went and in came Walls leaving many scratching their heads. Walls immediately benefited from an injection of quality interstate players like Craig Bradley and Stephen Kearnahan. Similar to the Eagles in 2018 Carlton was able to get up and take the 1987 flag in spite of their crap coach. Carlton eventually realised their mistake in appointing Walls and got rid of him during their worst season in 24 years in 1989, replacing him with the man they should never have fired in the first place - Parkin. They quickly became a mainstay in the finals again and became the first team to win 20 matches in a home and away season in 1995 finishing 20-2 and then going on to win the grand final.

Meanwhile Walls had gone to the Bears in 1991 where he'll forever be remembered for instructing eight of his Bears players to circle the recently recruited Shane Strempel and take turns beating the crap out of him. The players did what they were told until Brad Hardie called a stop to it, telling Walls “we’d better stop or we’ll kill him”.

With a string of utter garbage seasons under his belt, Walls was told half way during the 1995 season that he would not be reappointed as coach. Buoyed by this news, the Bears players went on to win seven of their next eight games and take the club to their first ever finals series.

He moved to Richmond the following year where he lasted just one & a half seasons before being forced to permanently retire.



So your last interaction with him was 5 years ago and you're still thinking about him? What's his exact username so I can look at these posts of his that have so cruelly tormented you.

From memory his exact username was Nima. No idea when my last interaction with him was, but interacting with you is so strikingly similar it has dredged up the memory.

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Why hasn't Suma been appointed by any other AFL club?

Well he has been appointed by other clubs, just not for the senior coaching role. The first reason is that he has been pretty picky with which jobs he has gone for and not applying for too many. Opting out of applying for the Gold Coast Suns vacant position in 2017 for instance because he thought it wasn't the right fit. As far as WC goes the belief was that he lost out to Simpson because he didn't interview as well but others have suggested that the board wanted someone away from the West Coast brand. He almost landed a senior coaching role at Essendon the decision was very close apparently. I think he's just been unlucky to be honest. Maybe he doesn't have quite as polished an image as others he's lost out to but I'd rather someone who gets results on the field rather than someone able to perform perfectly for post match interviews.

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

From memory his exact username was Nima. No idea when my last interaction with him was, but interacting with you is so strikingly similar it has dredged up the memory.

Are you sure? Can't find him or any of his posts.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Are you sure? Can't find him or any of his posts.

View attachment 2168710

Whole thing must’ve been a figment of my imagination then.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Well he has been appointed by other clubs, just not for the senior coaching role. The first reason is that he has been pretty picky with which jobs he has gone for and not applying for too many. Opting out of applying for the Gold Coast Suns vacant position in 2017 for instance because he thought it wasn't the right fit. As far as WC goes the belief was that he lost out to Simpson because he didn't interview as well but others have suggested that the board wanted someone away from the West Coast brand. He almost landed a senior coaching role at Essendon the decision was very close apparently. I think he's just been unlucky to be honest. Maybe he doesn't have quite as polished an image as others he's lost out to but I'd rather someone who gets results on the field rather than someone able to perform perfectly for post match interviews.

We got someone who performed. Simmo won a premiership.

Why would Suma have been be a better option?

It's not something you can answer.

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

Whole thing must’ve been a figment of my imagination then.

You gave me an idea. Rather than searching for any posts by someone with the username nima I've instead searched for any posts by you where you have mentioned his name or quoted him. Bingo. Found him. He changed his username to Karim Abdul Yeo but where you've quoted him it still comes up as nima.

• #455

Also found a post where you speculated another user was him.

• #1,146

​

 

[HitTheNailOnTheHead]

We got someone who performed. Simmo won a premiership.

West Coast won a premiership and had Simpson's instruction to drag Dom Sheed from the ground in the last few minutes of the 2018 GF been followed, it's unlikely they would have.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

I heard Simpson wanted to drag Sheed but Mitchell overruled him.