The West Coast Eagles are going from bad to worse this season. And when you thought the Eagles couldn’t go any lower, they suffered the worst defeat in their history and were on the wrong end of a 171-point thrashing on Saturday.
Unsurprisingly, many Eagles fans are now asking the club to remove Simpson from his coaching post and to do that immediately. However, due to contractual complications, Simpson sacking might not be as straightforward and imminent as fans want.
No Coach in the World Would Survive a Record Like That
Speaking on Footy Classified, Kane Cornes was pretty sure Simpson’s days with the Eagles are numbered. Cornes said the coach was “on borrowed time” and he expected him to leave “in a month” or “at the end of the year.”
The AFL analyst asserted that “no coach in world sport would survive a record like that.” The Eagles are currently rock bottom in the standings with only one win and thirteen defeats. They last won a match in March.
The Eagles Must Pay 200% Luxury Tax to Get Rid of Simpson
So, what’s creating the hold-up and why haven’t the Eagles and Simpson parted ways yet? Looking from the outside, Cornes thought the two parties were still together only because of what was in Simpson’s contract.
Journalist Sam McClure added that Simpson is on $800,000 a year and had a contract until the end of 2025. The contract had no exit clauses and was part of the soft cap. To terminate Simpson’s contract prematurely, the Eagles would have to pay the 200% luxury tax.
Even though they are one of the richest AFL clubs, it is evident the Eagles are reluctant to pay that much. However, they might need to do that to get the team out of the current slump and kick-start their season.
Simpson Looks Tired and Combative
Simpson might have said that no one was hurting more, but he doesn’t seem like the man who will turn things around for West Coast.
Cornes said that a coach had two jobs – to get the best out of the players in his squad and make each player perform the best he can. Simpson was failing at both.
He also didn’t seem to enjoy the job, with Cornes commenting that he looked tired and combative. So, the only reason that can explain why Simpson is still with the Eagles, Cornes claimed, was the contract.
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