Turn Optus Stadium into a fortress and all will be well, was his view. The Eagles would sort out their game plan in the next two home games against St Kilda and North Melbourne.
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Simpson addresses his players at half-time during the matchday 12 match against the Roos. Credit: Daniel Carson/Getty
While West Coast's form against the Saints and Roos was nothing like the nightmarish horrors of last year, there is still a good chance the Eagles will win the same number of games as last season.
Simpson may want to update his LinkedIn profile.
The 48-year-old now has a winning record of just under 51 per cent, down from an all-time high of 75 per cent in the year the club won the flag.
The Eagles have won just eight of their last 59 games. Those numbers would hardly be tolerated by an up-and-coming franchise club, let alone an AFL powerhouse with a trophy cabinet.
In the past, the Eagles could have easily justified their lackluster form as the number of injuries suffered. But West Coast now has one of the healthiest lists in the AFL. Of the five players currently injured, only captain Oscar Allen has missed most of the season.
There is no doubt that West Coast have been more competitive this season with their senior players on the park. Interception king Jeremy McGovern is bound to earn another All-Australian guernsey, and Jake Waterman's resurgence has been remarkable.
The club's most explosive player, Elliot Yeo, is 30 years old and facing plenty of suitors, so he might not even be on the West Coast next year. Even if the two-time All-Australian sticks around, there is his ongoing soft tissue injury problem.
And aside from Reid, the only other youngsters getting regular game time are Reuben Ginbey and Brady Hough. There is some upside, but the game has sharply outclassed several veterans, most notably Prime Minister hero Dom Sheed and Andrew Gaff.
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It has become superfluous to mention trading or dropping under-performing forward Jack Darling as the Eagles clearly value their four-time leading scorer.
So, aside from Reid's mania, we can no longer pretend that the Eagles are going anywhere fast.
It's been an extraordinary effort by Simpson to last 10 years in such an unforgiving and brutal environment when a coach doesn't produce the goods. It's hard to imagine any other successful club in the world holding on to just a handful of wins over three seasons.
