ADAM Simpson hopes West Coast and Fremantle fans can join Andrew Gaff and Andrew Brayshaw by moving on from last year's Western Derby incident, and says a pre-game handshake between the pair "might be a good gesture" this Sunday.
Gaff will play in the Eagles' final JLT Community Series clash with Fremantle in Mandurah in a bid to boost his match fitness.
It will be the star midfielder's last official game before he can return from his eight-match suspension in round three against Collingwood.
Sunday's match will be the first time since his ban that Gaff has crossed paths on a football field with Brayshaw, who plans to seek him out pre-game to show there are no hard feelings after he suffered a broken jaw and displaced teeth from Gaff's blow in round 20 last year.
"It might be a good gesture, but I don't think we're all hanging out for that to happen," Simpson said.
"I think players have moved on, and it's how quick the two supporters of the two clubs from a public point of view understand we're here to play for 2019.
"I know it's a derby and the two boys are playing, but I think Fremantle are the same and we're just getting on with it.
"It will be bigger, I suppose, next time we play each other in the season proper, but as far as the two clubs are concerned we've moved on."
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The Eagles have named an unchanged squad for the clash and will manage the minutes of some key personnel leading into round one.
Luke Shuey (adductor) only played a half against Geelong last Friday, while Jeremy McGovern (ribs) and Elliot Yeo (toe) are building their workloads.
"We will go pretty much full strength. We have still got a couple of players we need to manage their minutes a little bit. We might have one or two more but we have got to get the rotations right and match-ups, all the prep for round one that you do," he said.
"The only change for us is that we will let Andrew play a little bit of game time as well. We need to get his match fitness up to a certain degree but we also need to get ready for round one so that is the balance.
"We have got two or three guys who we don’t want to max out just yet. They are coming back from off-season surgery and they are probably a week or two behind the other players are but they will catch up pretty quick.
"Next week we will have an intraclub as well just to cap them off."
Simpson was speaking at the Eagles’ season launch, where Australian soccer star Sam Kerr – the sister of former champion midfielder Daniel – was named as the No.1 ticketholder for the next two years.
