Dual premiership player David King has heaped praise on West Coast coach Adam Simpson, as he prepares to lead the Eagles into this weekend’s Grand Final.
King explained a story from Friday night to highlight how down-to-earth Simpson is, believing it will hold him in good stead for the Grand Final clash with Collingwood.
LISTEN to Saturday's 2018 AFL Grand Final between West Coast and Collingwood LIVE on 1116 SEN from 1:00pm AEST with Gerard Whateley, Anthony Hudson, Garry Lyon, Danny Frawley and Jack Heverin
“I caught up with Simmo yesterday, Fox asked us to stay to see what we can get for this week,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“Simmo was fantastic, he has been so relaxed. He has been amazing, spoke to him on Friday as he was driving home from the training session back to his place.
“He has got a bit going on, he is getting his house redone, he is building a new house at the moment, so he is making a Grand Final, he has got kids at school, he is building a new house, he couldn’t be more stressed if he tried … but he is the most relaxed coach around.
“He just understands there’s things you can control and there’s thing you can’t, don’t get caught up in the things you can’t.
“We spoke about the game for a while, I was staying at the Crown in Perth, he said where are you going to watch the footy (the Richmond v Collingwood Preliminary Final), what are you going to do.
“At that stage, I said, I’ll probably just watch it in the room.
“Half an hour later, there was a bucket of six Crown Lagers and a note from Simmo, ‘you got to have a couple of beers while you watch the footy tonight, enjoy’.
“That’s him. He has got a great handle on what is worth worrying about and what’s not.”
King also thinks any concern about how the Eagles play at the MCG should be allayed.
“Don’t undersell West Coast coming to the MCG,” he said.
“I think that’s a nonsense, I don’t think we need to discuss that anymore, that’s been put to bed a couple of times this year.
“They’ve travelled really well this year, so I don’t subscribe to that.
“Just seeing what they did to Melbourne, just seeing their planning, I just know they will be ready for Collingwood.”
Listen to David King’s chat with Gerard Whateley on SEN’s Whateley in the player below