“We'll go back to thinking sooner or later they'll do well. I'm not too worried about the surface.”
Former Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt this week labeled the Optus Stadium turf as “sub par”, while Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir also expressed some concerns.
“It's less than ideal,” he said.
“It's a slippery surface … inconsistent where the new grass is placed compared to the old grass.”
West Coast have stopped holding their main training sessions at Optus Stadium.
Simpson said that decision was partly due to the slippery surface, but mainly because his team is better suited to use the two ovals at its base at Mineral Resources Park.
West Coast will be bolstered by the return of Harley Reid (suspension) and Tim Kelly (hip) against the Hawks.
Harley Reid is back this weekend.Credit: Getty Images
But Elliot Yeo remains in doubt following the death of his father Craig on Monday night.
Simpson says he will give Yeo until he bounces back to decide if he wants to play.
“He's got the flexibility Elliot has this week. We've really tried to respect what he's going through, which is tragic,” Simpson said.
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“He came into the club (Thursday) in the morning. He's here today, and we'll see how he goes through the captain's run.
“We will deliver it until the last minute before the game.
“If he feels he's not ready for it, he won't play.”
The Eagles suffered a blow in practice this week when Jack Petruccelle tweaked his hamstring.
Petruccelle and forward Liam Ryan added some pace and X-factor to the midfield during last week's 30-point loss to Essendon.
AAP
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