Stand-in coach leads Eagles to solid win

STAND-IN West Coast coach Jaymie Graham praised his players for executing their game plan in Adam Simpson’s absence yesterday.

The forward coach was handed the job after Simpson rushed from Melbourne to Perth on Saturday night to be with his ill daughter in hospital.

The drama threatened to derail the Eagles’ preparations. But senior leaders Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey and Nic Naitanui set the tone as a band of youngsters brought enthusiasm to a regenerating side that has now squared its season ledger ahead of next Sunday’s meeting with Geelong at Optus Stadium.

“We’re really proud of the way the (senior) boys led and our young guys all had an impact and brought energy,” Graham said. “The players acted very professionally and it was business as usual.”

West Coast rattled off nine consecutive goals in an hour-long domination that began late in the first term to take control of the contest.

Jack Darling (four goals) and second-gamers Liam Ryan and Daniel Venables (three each) benefited from the work of a midfield that was on top.

Naitanui played over half the game in his second match back from injury and had a big influence in the ruck, winning 33 hit-outs, but was limited around the ground with eight disposals.

“He’s progressing well,” Graham said. “He’s getting good minutes and pulling up well, which is the main thing.

“We’re very happy (with his output). He gets first hands on it and he lifts the rest of the group around him.”

Graham was pleased to win away from home after West Coast’s welldocumented struggles in Melbourne, where they had won just three of 11 matches in the past two seasons.

“We can’t shy away from that (record) but we’ve got a very different group now,” Graham said.

West Coast backed Simpson’s decision to return home and were tight-lipped on the nature of his daughter’s illness. It is likely he will be back at the club this week.

Graham, who played 37 games for the Eagles from 2005 to 2008 and was senior coach of the club’s WAFL alignment team East Perth in 2016, spoke to Simpson after the match.

“He’s very proud of the performance of the players,” Graham said. “We haven’t got an update on (Simpson’s daughter) Elsa, but he seemed pretty happy so hopefully everything is fine.”