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In-stadium commentary at Mt SmartSimpson’s message to Eagles players after Lycett exit
Andrew Slevison • May 22nd, 2025 3:11 pm
Former West Coast coach Adam Simpson knows all about ‘grudge’ matches.
With much of the focus on Thursday night’s Geelong v Western Bulldogs clash surrounding the Bailey Smith situation, it was the perfect time for Simpson to reflect on his own experiences.
Simpson has revealed that he took steps to limit the pre-game fraternising with former Eagles ruckman Scott Lycett whenever West Coast and Port Adelaide met post 2018.
Lycett won the 2018 premiership with the Eagles but upped and departed Western Australia to return to South Australia with the Power via free agency. It was a move that Simpson was sure not to acknowledge in the immediate aftermath.
“Scott Lycett left after the 2018 premiership,” Simpson said on SEN’s Whateley.
“I think he already organised to leave before we won it, so he couldn’t backtrack.
“Of course we did a lap of honour for a couple of years at West Coast. But whenever we played Port Adelaide I said to our players, ‘There’s no shaking hands, there’s no high-fiving, don’t even talk to him’.
“I think we had a premiership reunion six weeks after we won it and that put him off a little bit.
“No one was talking to him or someone said, ‘I can’t talk to you, I’ll talk to you after the game’.”
Simpson made it clear to his Eagles players that they weren’t to exchange any niceties with Lycett prior.
“After the game was fine, it was the pre-game,” he added.
He had also devised a plan when playing Port at the Adelaide Oval with the idea being to equalise the disadvantage that visiting teams had.
“Port Adelaide do the ’Never Tear Us Apart’ so we would deliberately break the huddle late. Every time we played at Port we would stand down in the forward pocket for the captain’s speech,” Simpson continued.
“So to walk back to your positions for the start of the game, we’d make sure the song would finish, the crowd settles and sits down, and then the game starts. We didn’t want the game starting as the crowd were up.
“We’d do some things like that. It was important that we had that fighting spirit in an away game at Adelaide Oval, and I didn’t want Scott Lycett high-fiving everyone as we walked to the middle.
“It was more pre-game and in-game than post. I don’t think it made any difference by the way. They would have been laughing at me as well.”
Simpson, who won two premierships with North Melbourne as a player, also experienced one of the most combustible and emotional grudge matches in footy history.
It occurred in 2003 after North’s greatest ever player, Wayne Carey, had left the club in dastardly circumstances and ended up at Adelaide.
The Roos v Crows clash was a powder keg of volatility and Simpson believes nothing else comes close, describing Smith’s situation as simply banter among former teammates.
“That was a little bit different, there was more emotion, that was volatile,” Simpson continued.
“I can’t remember anything that was said before the game but that was the most intense individual opposition games I’ve been part of.
“That’s real. That’s the only time it was real.
“Who doesn’t like Smith at the Bulldogs? Who wants to hurt him? Who does he want to hurt?
“There’s none of that, is there? It’s just banter. They’re probably laughing it about was mates on WhatsApp as we speak.
“I don’t think the coaches would buy into any of it. It would just be, ‘Whatever, let’s move on’.
“But that was a bit different back in 2003.”
The Cats and Dogs clash at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night to kick off Round 11.
