WEST Coast coach Adam Simpson will continue supporting Liam Ryan, but says the first-year small forward needs to "grow and get better" after being involved in another off-field incident.
Simpson is set for a busy return from a short post-Grand Final break after scheduling meetings with Ryan and veteran Mark LeCras, who is weighing up retirement following the Eagles' stunning premiership.
West Coast is investigating why Ryan was issued with a move-on notice by police in WA coastal town Kalbarri after a family dispute at the weekend, and Simpson is keen to hear the 22-year-old's side of the story.
The incident came only a week after Ryan was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined $1700 after crashing his car into a tree while intoxicated in July.
"We're trying to show as much support as we can, but we also recognise he's got to grow and get better in some areas as well," Simpson said.
"We treat everyone differently in our own little way – every player needs to be managed in a different way.
"Quite often it's (because of) the background and cultural differences players have when they come to the club and sometimes they come from broken families, sometimes they come from affluent parts of society and sometimes they come from way out back.
"We just need to keep identifying what we need to do to make them better people and better players."
Ryan also disappointed the club by playing in a football match while on post-season holidays.
"That's not ideal, I'm pretty sure he probably didn't know he shouldn't be, although he should naturally know that," Simpson said.
"But he's a first-year player and he's come from such a different cultural background that there is a lot of things we're trying to work through, and we've stated that before."
Ryan and Willie Rioli combined for 48 goals and added spark to the Eagles' forward line in their debut seasons, taking pressure off a rejuvenated LeCras after his career was in jeopardy at the end of 2017.
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The 32-year-old's future is up in the air after wrist surgery, but Simpson believed LeCras – who sits third all-time in West Coast's goalkicking with 441 majors - is capable of playing on after snaring 32 goals in 23 games this season.
"Obviously, he's had a tremendous career to date. We'll find out (what he wants to do), probably this afternoon, and the next couple of days we'll make a call on it all," Simpson said.
"But the ball is in his court with that.
"We'll work through it together, but I want to know what he thinks.
"With what he did for us, he's doing a lot of things off-field that have gone unrecognised with his leadership.
"We had a young forward line this year that needed some real growth, and he helped provide that.
"For the first time in probably five or six years, he's got really good support around him. It's made him a better player."
Simpson was speaking alongside Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey at a promotional event for Carlton and United Breweries, which has launched a commemorative beer celebrating the Eagles' flag.
