Adam Simpson

Adam Simpson

Simpson in 2008
Personal information
Full nameAdam Simpson
Date of birth16 February 1976
Original teamEltham (DVFL)
Draft14th pick, 1993 National Draft (NM)
Height/Weight185 cm / 86 kg
Position(s)Midfielder
Playing career
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1995–2009North Melbourne306 (83)
International team honours
YearsTeamGames (Goals)
2002–2003Australia4 (0)
Coaching career3
YearsClubGames (W–L–D)
2014–West Coast26 (13–13–0)
3 Coaching statistics correct as of rd 4 2015.
Career highlights

Adam Simpson (born 16 February 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). From Melbourne, Simpson originally played for Eltham in the suburban Diamond Valley Football League, and he also played under-18 football for the Northern Knights before being recruited by North Melbourne at the 1993 National Draft. He made his senior debut for the club during the 1995 season, and the following season played in North Melbourne's grand final win over Sydney, having also been nominated for the Rising Star award earlier in the season. A midfielder, Simpson also played in the club's 1999 premiership side. In 2002, he won the club best and fairest award (the Syd Barker Medal), and was also named in the All-Australian team. Later in his career, Simpson served as captain of North Melbourne, for five season from 2004 to 2008, and he retired at the end of the 2009 season after 306 games. He is currently the senior coach of the West Coast Eagles, having served as an assistant coach at Hawthorn Football Club from 2010 to 2013.

Early life

Simpson grew up in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, where he played junior football with the Eltham Football Club and the Northern Knights

AFL career

Early career

Debuting in 1995, he has won two premierships, a best and fairest and All-Australian selection in his career. Simpson played every game in their 1996 and 1999 premiership seasons.

Captaincy (2004-2008)

He received the club captaincy in the 2004 season and led the Kangaroos into the finals the following year.

In one of his best games of his career, in Round 5 2007 against Geelong at Skilled Stadium, Simpson racked up a game high 41 possessions in the Roos 16 point win. He also kicked a goal.

Played his 250th game against Carlton at Carrara a Kangaroos home game at the Gold Coast. North Melbourne won the game 22-13-147 to 20-10-130. Simpson had 20 disposals from the game. When he played his 200th game his fellow players forgot to chair him off the field, they did not make the same mistake for his 250th.

Simpson has only missed 7 games. He is one of only seven players to reach the 250 mark for the club.

On 5 November, Adam Simpson announced he was stepping down as captain but would continue on playing in season 2009. The new captain is Brent Harvey.

The skipper and star midfielder only narrowly missed recording a fifth consecutive top-three finish in the Best and Fairest of 2005 finishing 4th-a single vore behind 3rd and 2 votes shy of second. Missed two games with a puncutred lung in 2005, but still racked up more than 400 disposals in his typically industrious way.

2009 season

Retirement

Simpson announced his retirement on 27 July 2009 effective after 31 July Friday night match, due to North Melbourne's inability to make the finals. Now retired from the professional ranks, he has taken up the opportunity to help out his first club, Eltham, where he will play a number of games within their senior program in 2010.

Coaching career

In 2010 Simpson took up an assistant coaching role with the Hawthorn Football Club and as of the 2014 AFL season, he will be the senior coach of the West Coast Eagles after John Worsfold stood down from the role after the Eagles had a disappointing 2013 season. He beat red-hot favourites in Scott Burns and Peter Sumich at the coaching position

Statistics

Playing statistics

[1]
Year Team # Games D K H M T H/O G B D K H M T H/O G B
Totals Averages (per game)
1995 North Melbourne 37 2 11 5 6 1 1 1 0 0 5.5 2.5 3.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0
1996 North Melbourne 37 25 258 164 94 46 35 11 16 8 10.3 6.6 3.8 1.8 1.4 0.4 0.6 0.3
1997 North Melbourne 37 19 235 153 82 46 23 14 5 7 12.4 8.1 4.3 2.4 1.2 0.7 0.3 0.4
1998 North Melbourne 37 19 287 175 112 46 45 6 9 10 15.1 9.2 5.9 2.4 2.4 0.3 0.5 0.5
1999 Kangaroos 7 25 545 409 136 113 54 48 5 9 21.8 16.4 5.4 4.5 2.2 1.9 0.2 0.4
2000 Kangaroos 7 25 492 376 116 87 83 29 5 6 19.7 15.0 4.6 3.5 3.3 1.2 0.2 0.2
2001 Kangaroos 7 21 455 309 146 88 60 21 3 0 21.7 14.7 7.0 4.2 2.9 1.0 0.1 0.0
2002 Kangaroos 7 23 565 403 162 105 72 20 7 10 24.6 17.5 7.0 4.6 3.1 0.9 0.3 0.4
2003 Kangaroos 7 21 532 327 205 126 45 44 11 6 25.3 15.6 9.8 6.0 2.1 2.1 0.5 0.3
2004 Kangaroos 7 22 544 317 227 118 73 40 4 8 24.7 14.4 10.3 5.4 3.3 1.8 0.2 0.4
2005 Kangaroos 7 21 413 230 183 84 63 28 3 1 19.7 11.0 8.7 4.0 3.0 1.3 0.1 0.0
2006 Kangaroos 7 19 436 226 210 96 58 16 2 2 22.9 11.9 11.1 5.1 3.1 0.8 0.1 0.1
2007 Kangaroos 7 25 610 327 283 104 110 34 4 4 24.4 13.1 11.3 4.2 4.4 1.4 0.2 0.2
2008 North Melbourne 7 21 505 238 267 77 77 13 4 5 24.0 11.3 12.7 3.7 3.7 0.6 0.2 0.2
2009 North Melbourne 7 18 442 199 243 95 76 16 5 4 24.6 11.1 13.5 5.3 4.2 0.9 0.3 0.2
Career 306 6330 3858 2472 1232 875 341 83 80 20.7 12.6 8.1 4.0 2.9 1.1 0.3 0.3

Coaching statistics

[2]
Season Team Games Coached Wins Losses Draws Points % Ladder Position League Teams
2014 West Coast 22 11 11 0 50.0% 9 18
Career totals 22 11 11 0 50.00% 9.00 18.00

* = Unfinished season

Personal life

Married his high-school sweetheart, whom he met in Year 11 and had three children Milla, Allie and Owen.

References

  1. ↑ Adam Simpson's player profile at AFL Tables
  2. ↑ Adam Simpson's coaching profile at AFL Tables

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Shannon Grant		 North Melbourne Best and Fairest winner
2002 		Succeeded by
Brent Harvey