West Coast coach Adam Simpson has spoken on his position with the Eagles amid reports the club is considering parting ways with their premiership-winning mentor, with two former players of the club and current assistant coaches now linked to potential returns.
Simpson, despite being contracted until the end of the 2025 season, is facing an uncertain future at Lathlain Park as the club's stakeholders reportedly weigh up whether to sack their senior coach at the end of the current season.
The Eagles have managed just two wins this season - the same tally of wins they recorded last year - to be favoured for the wooden spoon with a fortnight remaining on the home and away calendar.
West Coast have lost five games this season by 100 points or more already in 2023, their latest being a 101-point defeat to rivals Fremantle last Saturday night. The Eagles have also suffered a further nine losses by 40 points or more.
The Dockers defeat has placed significantly more pressure on Simpson's tenure, with the 2018 grand final-winning coach now set to learn where his future lies in the coming weeks.
Speaking onย 6PRย on Thursday night, Simpson said he was seeking "clarity" from the club to get the best understanding of what the future holds for the Eagles.
"Getting clarity about what it looks like in the future and making sure you're still a part of it is important. That'll come in the next week or so," he said.
"I haven't asked the board, but I've spoken to a few people at the club to get some direction. I'm not stamping my feet.
"It's more when we do all of this future planning, you want to be there if you're recruiting people or employing staff. That clarity is important.
"At the same time, I fully respect the board and they've always been pretty stoic and by an agenda that they set, and I respect that."
The loss to Fremantle only added to the worst season in the club's history, with a winless next two weeks set to see the Perth powerhouse claim their second wooden spoon finish.
Simpson said while the Western Derby loss compounded an already-difficult campaign, the Eagles coach revealed he'd be surprised if a cut-throat call by the board would be made off one result.
"I don't think one game in isolation is a pivot to make a change," he said.
"But if the club and board decide that it is, then I need to respect that. But I haven't changed my position on where we're at and what we need to do.
"There's always going to be some hard times, and the weekend was really hard."
As West Coast weigh up Simpson's future, the club has reportedly reached out to former club premiership heroes and Sydney Swans assistant coaches Don Pyke and Dean Cox.
According toย CODE Sports,ย the Eagles are believed to have sounded out both Pyke and Cox to gauge their eagerness on potentially returning to the club.
Pyke, Adelaide's former senior coach from 2016-2019, has previously shut down suggestions he could make a return to the senior coaching hot seat in the near future, while Cox too has swatted away questions as to whether he could look for a promotion in Sydney or elsewhere.
The publication's report suggests the Eagles are planning to make at least five "significant" changes to their football department, with Simpson's standing not necessarily among those calls.
If West Coast are to decide to part ways with Simpson this year, the club would be needing to pay up between $5-7 million due to the coach's payout and the additional taxes for breaching the soft cap. Clubs are able to pay a 200 per cent luxury tax for breaking the soft cap.
The Eagles' final two games of the season come against the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne this weekend before a campaign-concluding encounter with Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Saturday, August 26.
