Champion data rates West Coast Eagles coach Adam Simpson’s 2018 gamestyle as a stand-outMitchell Woodcock
The West Australian
Fri, 5 February 2021 3:25PMRichmond may have won three of the last four premierships, but West Coast coach Adam Simpson is being credited with masterminding the stand-out gameplan of recent years.
Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne says Simpson’s premiership-winning team of 2018 was “one that stands out in our mind” because of the way they played.
As teams went about trying to mimic the Tigers’ pressure and ground-ball plans, the Eagles bucked the trend and capitalised on the strength of their kicking.
The Eagles finished second after the home-and-away season with a 16-6 record, before going on to win all three of their finals, including a thrilling five-point grand final win over Collingwood.
Asked if there was a team or coach who he admired for doing it their own way, Hoynes didn’t hesitate in saying Simpson.
“All the rage after Richmond won that 2017 premiership was those small forward, high-pressure quick game style. Is that the way that the game’s going?,” Hoynes told SEN.
“It looked like from our end that Simpson implemented a game style that actually suited his list with the talls.
“They played a kick-mark game as opposed to the chaotic, frenzied Richmond style if you like and I think that won them the flag.
“Looking at it for a number of years now, the key is really implementing a style that suits your list, not implementing a style that the rest of the competition are implementing but you might not have the list be able to do that.
“I think the key is with everything is to implement a style which suits your list, if you do that there’s no right or wrong.”
Simpson has won 104 of his 160 games coached since taking over West Coast in 2014, giving him a 65 per cent winning record.
Only Mick Malthouse and John Worsfold have coached more wins at the Eagles.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/afl-champion-data-rate-west-coast-eagles-coach-adam-simpsons-2018-gamestyle-as-a-stand-out-ng-b881788578z
