ADAM Simpson will depart as West Coast coach after 11 years at the helm and with a year to run on his contract.
Michael Whiting takes a look at some of the major milestones in the 48-year-old's career as Eagles boss.
2013
October 3: After a distinguished 306-game playing career for North Melbourne, Simpson was an assistant to Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn for four seasons (2010-2013) before being appointed by West Coast to replace premiership captain and coach John Worsfold.
2014
August 31: Taking over a team that finished 13th the previous season, Simpson took the Eagles to the brink of finals in his first year. A final-round upset win by Richmond over Sydney snuck the Tigers into the eight and left the Eagles in the dreaded ninth spot.
2015
October 3: In just his second season, Simpson took West Coast all the way to the Grand Final. Despite having a rough day on the big stage and losing to Hawthorn, it was a big step in a rapid rise.
2017
September 9: Following an elimination final exit the previous year, the Eagles would go one week further in 2017, and in the most dramatic fashion. With the siren having sounded at Adelaide Oval, Luke Shuey kicked one of the more memorable goals in Eagles history to bounce Port and move to a semi-final where they'd lose to Greater Western Sydney.
2018
July 15: Star ruckman Nic Naitanui crumples to the MCG turf in a round 17 win over Collingwood, with scans later confirming a second ruptured ACL. Naitanui would be unavailable for the rest of the season.
August 5: Andrew Gaff shocks the footy world with a punch that knocks out Docker Andrew Brayshaw in Derby 48. The wingman is suspended for eight weeks, making him ineligible for the remainder of 2018.
September 29: The Holy Grail of Simpson's coaching tenure comes, with the Eagles overcoming an early deficit to roll Collingwood for the fourth premiership in club history. Dom Sheed's late goal – and the passage of play involving Jeremy McGovern, Nathan Vardy and Liam Ryan that led to it – would go down in Eagles folklore.
October 7: To complete an incredible few months for the Eagles, Gaff turns his back on lucrative offers from rival clubs in his free agency year to commit to the Eagles.
2019:
September 13: West Coast fails to defend its premiership, bowing out to Geelong in a semi-final at the MCG by 20 points.
October 9: Just weeks after losing to the Cats, West Coast completes a deal that lands star midfielder Tim Kelly on a six-year contract. The Eagles are going all-in on remaining a premiership contender.
2020
June 19: Already in its COVID-19 hub on the Gold Coast, Simpson makes it known the Eagles wouldn't be prepared to stay in Queensland long-term if they weren't allowed to quarantine at home on return to Perth. It begins a tense time between the club and AFL in a difficult season.
October 3: Making it to finals and back in Perth, the Eagles are edged out by Collingwood by a solitary point at Optus Stadium to eliminate it from the season.
2021
August 21: Brisbane puts the nail in West Coast's coffin with a final-round win that consigns the Eagles to ninth and begins a horror stretch for the club. After starting the season 8-5, they went off the rails, losing their final four games to miss the finals for the first time since Simpson's first season.
2022
May 7: Simpson misses West Coast's round eight loss to Brisbane at the Gabba, sitting in health and safety protocols with COVID-19. The Eagles have an outbreak through the camp, and coupled with a horrific injury toll, play South Fremantle midfielder Jake Florenca as a top-up player from the WAFL.
2023
July 30: With pressure on Simpson and the club at fever pitch, the Eagles snap a 16-game losing streak with a five-point win over North Melbourne.
August 26: On the same night it farewells retiring champions Luke Shuey, Nic Naitanui and Shannon Hurn, West Coast lose to Adelaide to ensure its first wooden spoon since 2010. They won just three games during the season following on from two the year before.
November 20: The Eagles select Harley Reid with the first pick in the AFL national draft.
2024
July 9: After 242 games* at the helm, Simpson's tenure at West Coast ends. He won 122 games, drew one and lost 119, but with just eight victories from his past 64 matches in charge, the club called time.
*Simpson is yet to decide if he will coach one final time against Brisbane on Sunday
