Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire is led to believe, barring a last-minute change of heart, Adam Simpson will be sacked by the West Coast Eagles this week.
Speaking on Nine’s Eddie and Jimmy podcast, McGuire addressed footage shown exclusively on 9News Melbourne of West Coast board members meeting over the weekend in Melbourne.
“Not the full board, but the board came over. They usually come over once a year for a meeting in Melbourne,” he said.
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“My understanding of it was to just completely nut out the separation and the payments and everything.
“The club is very adamant that he does go unless there is a last-minute switch.”
With several meetings held across two days, McGuire said Simpson’s severance package had been decided on Saturday.
“Unless there is a last-minute change, everything is in order for [Simpson’s dismissal] to be announced this week,” he said.
“[Simpson] can finish with his three premiership players and do hopefully a lap, and do it the right way and let him go out in style.
“But my understanding is that they’ve worked out what their severance scenario will be.”
The Eagles’ shock seven-point win over the Bulldogs on Sunday couldn’t have come at a better time for Simpson, after a difficult week, with tanking allegations hanging over his head.
“I know what’s going on in this one — he was right after the Essendon game [in round 21],” McGuire said.
“They actually said … the idea was to get him through — he’s had a hard period, he can coach, he is our bloke, we like him a lot.
“Go and have a big long holiday, [they’ll] bring in the best sports medicine people, which they’re doing, get rid of the older players and free up the salary cap which they’re doing, play the kids, which they’re doing.
“They have a win on the weekend and suddenly those kids who looked like duffers a week before, you go, ‘Yeah, there’s a couple of good kids in there’.”
The Eagles released a cryptic statement on Monday to seemingly quash any sacking rumours and refute McGuire’s claims.
“The West Coast Eagles board met this morning for an informal discussion at the home of chairman Paul Fitzpatrick,” the club wrote in a statement.
“The club remains firm on its position that no decisions have been made around the future of any staff members and that none of those key decisions will be made until after the season.
“Our club is focused on celebrating the careers of three champions – Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey and Nic Naitanui – at our final match of the season against Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.”
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
