As the pressure mounts on Adam Simpson following another dismal loss to Melbourne at the weekend, AFL superstar Luke Hodge argues the blowtorch should be aimed at the West Coast’s top performers.
After some bright spots, West Coast has slipped back to its worst performance of recent weeks. The team faltered against Hawthorn before taking far too long to get going against Melbourne on Sunday.
With the prospect of a second consecutive title on the horizon following North Melbourne’s win at the weekend, Simpson is under enormous pressure to hold out until the end of the year, not to mention his contract expiring in 2025.
However, four-time champion Hodge has sharply criticized the Eagles’ management for their failure to develop the team.
“What player on the West Coast over the last three years can raise their hand and say, ‘Hey, I lived up to my expectations’?” Hodge said on SEN.
“If the coach leaves, I’ll tell you something: half of these players should pack their things and leave too.
“There is always unrest when the team is in the top four and doesn’t get a game, then there is unrest, but they don’t mention it because you seem selfish because the team is doing well.
“The players who are restless should raise their hands or actually say who they are.
“I guess I can count on one hand the number of people who can sit there and say, ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ve fulfilled my contract this year.'”
As The West Australian revealed last week, some players have already expressed their desire for a change in leadership before next season.
But Hodge believes the problem with the current culture at the club lies with the players, not the coaching staff.
“If these are experienced players who are restless, they should ask themselves, ‘What have I done to help the development of this team?'” Hodge said.
“Some of what I’ve heard from the West Coast in terms of feedback among leaders and feedback on youth development is poor or missing.
“If you want to attack the coach and you are the leader of this football club, I would ask myself: ‘What can I do to help make that list?’.
Hodge does not believe Simpson should be sacked before the end of the season as he believes the players should fall on their sword first.
“When Harley Reid played really well and Elliot Yeo was there (and played well), we saw that their list was actually OK.
“It’s the inconsistency of a young team that’s getting better. They’re not going to replace the coach and be a top-8 team, they’re going to have ups and downs while continuing to get high draft picks.
“Don’t point fingers. Look at yourself as a player and think about what you can do before you start blaming the coach and spreading messages.
“If it’s a leader sending those messages, it depends on the culture, and I would look at those players first before looking at the coach.”