Paul Hasleby believes the time is right for Adam Simpson to walk away from the West Coast Eagles.
The 2018 premiership coach remains under contract with the Eagles until 2024, but Hasleby feels it would be in the best interests of both the club and the individual if they were to part ways.
It has been a dogged season to date for the Eagles, who have been decimated by COVID cases as well as injuries, which has seen WAFL top up players step in to help fill the void.
As a result, their on-field results have been fairly ordinary as they find themselves on the bottom of the ladder with a 1-6 record and a percentage of just 55.3.
There is a rebuild of sorts on the horizon and with this situation in mind, former Fremantle star Hasleby has urged Simpson to depart this year in a bid to preserve his own reputation while allowing the club to start the revamp immediately.
Earlier this week Hasleby wrote a column in the West Australian titled - Time for Adam Simpson to part ways with West Coast Eagles for his sake and the club’s - and has since expanded on his thoughts.
“Firstly, it’s not immediate. I don’t think it has to be made right now, it may be something that’s parked towards the back-end of the year,” he said on SEN WA’s The Run Home.
“I just think he’s been there for nine years and he’s got another two years on his contract. At that stage it’s going to be 11 (years) and I’m consistent with that.
“Ken Hinkley at Port Adelaide, the same thing applies for him. If they start that trajectory down, I think they’ll make the same call. Leon Cameron (at GWS) as well. So it’s not just something about Adam Simpson.
“I did pump him up because I’ve followed his whole career. I’ve known him since I was 13 years of age, I got to meet him as a youngster and he was an idol of mine.
“He’s done a hell of a lot of good for that football club and North Melbourne as well. He won’t give up, he’ll keep fighting, it’s not in his DNA (to give up).
“I just think for him as a coach, if he ever wants to go to another club - which I’m not sure if he does - I think there’s a time and a place to exit the club and not be greedy and not hold them accountable to the two-year deal that you still have.
“Maybe he and Trevor Nisbett can get together and have a chat, work out a settlement and then the West Coast Eagles can really focus on their rebuild.
“One of my arguments was that if you’ve got a coach who has been there for so long, he’s got to rebuild this group under his philosophy. The new coach could come in in two years’ time and have a completely different philosophy.
“Coaches under pressure towards the back-end of their contract can make some poor decisions in terms of the players they try to recruit into their club. They want immediate success, they want big names and they’re not patient.
“The West Coast Eagles need to be really patient at this particular time.
“There’s a couple of reasons. The last one, which I didn’t put in the article, is he’s really close with a lot of those premiership stars and he needs to make some big calls on those stars, either to exit them from the team or change positions within the team to allow some kids to get some good looks.
“If you’ve got good relationships, that can be hard to do.
“For all those reasons, I’d love ‘Simmo’ to finish up at the end of this year, take a bit of time off and then get rejuvenated.
“I still think he can win a premiership elsewhere, that’s how highly I rate him.
“If he stays at West Coast, I don’t think he’ll win a premiership with them and I don’t think he’ll get back into coaching after doing that two-year period which could be tough.”
The undermanned Eagles travel to the Gabba to take on the second-placed Brisbane Lions this Saturday night.
They will be forced to do so without Simpson who is under COVID protocols and has handed the reins to senior assistant Matthew Knights.