okay after one of the bigger weeks in uh Western Australian football news this man on my right joins me Jeremy MCG Where Have You Been mate why don't you fly back with the boys thanks for coming in thanks for stepping into back chat Studios where haven't I been I've driven the nullable you have driven the nullable so can we start with that story I know you want to speak about Simo and a few of the other things going on at the footy club which has been a big week but you haven't been here for it so what can you tell us back what happened you it feels like I've been gone for weeks to be honest um it it all yeah oh yeah I obviously I got injured in the game um which happens and um unfortunately I've been through it a little bit with the ribs and stuff and um is it the same injury is it a re injury of what uh no I've no I've just broken me other ribs which I got we big ribs which probably well known now um so yeah that all happened and then uh I was planning on flying back um as you do you got to get tested and scans and stuff to make sure that you haven't collapsed lungs and all that punched lungs and all that sort of stuff and initially the scans looked okay and I was like all right gra fly um and then we heading to the airport and then got a call saying that no you've got a small punch in your lung right so then it was just you're going to have to stay back and we'll try to get you on a later flight but um I found out now which I didn't know like protocol for Airlines is once you've obviously punched your lung or anything uh to do with your lungs in that sort of capacity not allowed to fly for seven days right so it's it's just their protocol and it's fair enough cuz it's obviously risk flying um you have a punctured lung yeah minor minor it wasn't like yeah I was I was fine I felt I felt great I don't know the difference between a minor and a fully like I feel like just a puncture a punctured balloon's a punctured balloon the same thing yeah I would look I didn't it it just it's a self-healing one I've I've I've punched it my lung like yeah unfortunately a few years ago that one was different that was you know had to surgery and all that sort of stuff so this one was minor um and then it was back to the hotel in scrambling to try and get back and then you know back and forth like the club the club did absolutely and the AFL everyone was trying to do everything they could to help get me back yes uh but you know you got to respect the airlines policies and uh the risk factor and health and all that sort of stuff so yeah then was been Melbourne for a week so that was Monday evening all of that was going on and then back here in Perth there was some other things going on so probably around that time not sure when you sort of found out but Monday night Tuesday Morning Tuesday morning over here Adam Simpson finishes his tenure as West Coast coach so uh you were trying to get back before you knew that but then when you found that out yeah yeah well that's man it was all there was so much going on um that was all happening the club was everyone was doing going above and beyond for me to try and get me back so it was a lot of cutle of days of that uh and then it was like all right you got to stay um which is fine I stay in Melbourne for a week and catch up with a brother and family just looking at some things to do while I was there and then um yeah found out Tuesday Morning Simo Simo actually gave me a call and just said mate yeah I'm uh I'm finishing up uh and obviously first reactions obviously sad I've been with him me whole career um I love him to death so um was initially sad and then it was um after that phone call sort of happened I was felt a bit selfish that you know everyone's putting these re everyone's woring about this but you know this other stuff which is probably a little bit more important than me sitting in Melbourne uh was happening back here so um yeah once that sort of call come through and understood where the club was at obviously was one major reason but two the club as well like cimo is G through a tough time for sure but so is the club like all the players staff everything it's it's all happening and I just there just part of me I was like I can't sit here while all this is going on um you know and I can't sit here and you know watch if Simi did coach or you know not sort of say goodbye to see want to pay my respects to him um I spoke to you around that time and you were half consider you were trying to to figure out if you could play you were trying to figure out if you could come back cuz at that time was up in the air where the Simo was going to coach again yeah I didn't know that at all and whether he did or he didn't it wasn't really you know if he was coaching of course put me hand I'd still put me hand on to play if I could this week but um I can't but uh yeah like it it was mainly to pay respect to him of course um and to get back and support the footy club and get back to me there's a lot of reasons to come back put it that way and I just didn't feel comfortable sitting in Melbourne while all this was sort of happening and so how did you get back yeah well that that was the next thing is I felt so I felt bad because the you know everyone was going above and beyond like I said at the at the footy club and and all this I just thought I you know it's stuff I'll drive and we actually it was a consideration before we this all happened but you know we just thought just chilling Melbourne for a week then this happened and so I just thought stuff it I'm who I got to call someone and see if I can get a car and come back and called Frank from paywise theat Power by paywise yes he it's sponsor sponsor of B chat as well and I called Frank said mate I random one can you have you got a car by any chance at anyone you know anyone can wants to get a car back to Melbourne um he goes yeah give me 10 minutes gave me a call back said M I got a car for you if you want to drive it back I was thought stuff it I'll I'll do it um went and picked your car up um had no number plates on it the entire way home no the whole way home I I picked it up and I said oh M what's what what what's going on here there's no number plates he goes oh no you'll be right just there's a permit in there you'll be fine I can drive across 3,000 K without a number I feel dodgy ass already uh and then he's like no you'll be fine just yeah jump in and drive it back so yeah the great man Frank looked after me got me a car drove me and I just started driving and and then from there obviously um Club was worried obviously with the injury and um which is fair enough and driving a fairway by myself um your partner Maddie decided to fly to adade so I scrambled my way to adelade and met her there picked her up and yeah we drove back what' you do talk about tell what that's a fair we covered a lot of different areas and it was uh it was good it was I'm glad she com she's she's a legend she always supports me and does everything she can for me uh yeah everything she absolutely can for me and I was wondering why she put her hand up so quick and I just thought she was a couple of days away from the kids are again so um no that was great she she come over and drove most of the way obviously um being a little bit sore with the ribs and stuff but um yeah and I was uh I got I got a couple hours in and I was thinking [ __ ] this is a this is a long long way um stop stop past quickly and saw big Scotty LW in nade did you yeah and I just said mate where are I sopw to going he's from shun area he's like she's stopping there so I stopped there and had a good good look and I've always wanted to do it the nullor but and now you've done it now I've done it it's like TI great I've done it but I wouldn't recommend doing it in a rush like with a bunch of yeah with with with some sore ribs and um all those circumstances that's for sure but respect to the truckies man the truckies those BLS are legends like they're one what they do two on those Road they you know when you suck on a truck yes and you you're half poking your head out to see M that every single truck he's throwing indicator on giving you a wave through like it's perfect time to overtake mate just those little things on the road the courtesy stuff I just I loved it and I followed I followed them to all the road houses I know all the good roadh houses are so why did you feel like you needed to drive across the nullor I by the sounds of been talking to you it's like for Adam Simpson why why do you feel so connected what's What's um other than the obvious I suppose I don't know yeah like OB s was the main reason and I think just for me like we've been through so much he's he's the one who gave me my career really um as you know I was uh I needed some work as a young footballer um but I didn't really have a lot of uh I had my own belief I guess but I don't know Simo it's it's weird because when he come he obviously he banished me from the Club yeah and was that his first year his first year I I think I was the example I was the example and he set the ex and it was fair enough it's not was an example I bought on myself um and he obviously banished me but there was just like this underlying belief like you could just see he was disappointed in me not more you know you're embarrassing it was just more I'm disappointed cuz you know and he told me after that he thinks I can play and he wants to get me in the side being a rookie seeing so far off a just hearing that you know it just gives you gave me about a confidence of you know the saor coach thinks I can play so obviously off the back of that built a little bit of confidence up and um yeah the banishment story we've gone over that many times I don't yeah I don't want to go too deep into it but you know and it's s of my relationship with him started from there and I guess from that day it was I was I was just loyal to him I guess he gave me my first game first opportunity um didn't look at me purely as a fat kid from Albany football he was actually looking at me holly he's like this guy's a good footballer we need to get him right um and I guess from that day I just tried to do everything I could to One play for him two um not let him down cuz he's you know he's sticking his neck out a little bit for me um and then from there yeah we I had yeah my whole career so far today with him um it kind of jumps to mind given you've got a rib injury now was Simo involved much with the 2018 Grand final decision to play cuz we're talking about that here as well that you were 50/50 right up until an hour before the game did did he have much to do with that or was he medical guys make the call and yeah you would have had conversations with him surely yeah yeah there was and there was never like any conversation of you know playing like I can't play it was none of that he was just more and this is was relationship was like mate if you're ready to go I'm playing you so you just going to let me know um and I trust your decision so um and that was sort of our relationship throughout my whole career you know he just backed you in so much and trusted you so much which I did with him as well so um yeah he he wasn't there nagging me pushing me none of that he just let me go and um you know asked me if I'm ready and I sort of half nodded like yeah mate I I think I'm I think I'm right I don't think he wanted to see the fitness test which he steered well away from but um yeah it's just that was just our relationship over many years and brought me into leadership roles you know at the footy club which I never thought at all was a thing for me um he yeah spoke pretty early to me say man I think you can you've got leadership qualities and I want to try and help develop you and that just all those things you know as as a young player coming through just having the backing of your senior coach or a person within that footy Club just helps you grow as a footballer and as a person um and that was the biggest thing that I've Loved about Simo is that yeah was football of course 100% he was you need to perform you know do everything you can to play footy but at the same time he was really invested in you being a good person and trying to help you be a better person better dad now you know all these other little you cared about me as a person rather than just a footballer so um yeah it was it was a no Briner for me to do whatever I could to get back and try and show some respect to him and thank him I guess in a way you're obviously uh I don't know how many people are on the list that you drive across the nullor for but he's he clearly connected well to him it's probably him couple mates no look yeah you're a loyal person though I do know that but it's a bloody big effort yeah I it's not like I yeah I it was just the circumstances look don't get me wrong I'm not you know praising myself and pump myself up hit driving the nullo at all it was just more a values thing for me and you know it's whether I was down the road or whatever it was I just do everything I could to try and get there to one just show some respect and um just acknowledge that I I care about him and and appreciate everything he's done for me and my career I'm not sure if uh much media coverage got uh to you along the Journey of the nullor but have you seen much of the coverage back here in Western Australia have you got any thoughts on that not oh no not I mean specifically the the front page of the paper got a lot of coverage over here yeah look yeah I did of course yeah that was going around and you know I got to be careful what I say because for me I'm I'm biased towards Simo and um it's not just I don't even think it's about Sim I just think it's just about a little bit of respect for him um for him but also um I think he summed it up pretty well in his press conference with you know I'm a player I'm in it now um feel like sometimes it does lean towards a little bit of disrespect to the actual individual um and the person rather than you know I'm not going to say we we're in a sport and a job that is criticized and that's that's what it is for sure but the Way Simi put it I think is pretty good of you know we are still human um and the angle and the way it's portrayed sometimes does seem like a bit more of a personal attack thing and uh I think just the way it's yeah that that washed up was um it was just really disappointing for me um one for Simo purely because you know that's his last sort of Harrah this the time to celebrate him um which we are now um I am anyway and I know the club is there's a lot of people throughout wa who are but I felt like the the westr had a really good opportunity just to you know thank him for his time and thank him for the 300 times I put him put him on the on the back back of front page but look I'm not judging them individually but I just yeah I thought it was a little bit disrespectful to to siman and the footy Club I I lik it to a little bit uh bman V forward on the field so the west and CMO gone ah head to-head right for three years yeah at the end of the game I think most shake hands and say good job that that was probably the opportunity missed um yeah oh look yeah you can argue yeah some people say it might be the right thing great but my values in the way that's exactly how you look out of thanks man appreciate the battle over the years um but I respect you as a person uh where that sort of maybe come across that we don't respect you at all Simo which is a little bit sad but you know we'll we'll rally around the big fell and selling it celebra him as much as we can are you trying to get back to play this year yeah yeah of course yeah for sure um I want show serious the r rib lung exper I am now just B book me in if you've ever had a broken reib fck um yeah now for sure I've I've only got back a couple hours ago so um I got to go and see the docs tomorrow and we'll come up with a plan and and see how soon I can get back to play but yeah definitely man we're um we're in a tough spot like obviously the footy Club at the moment and we need everyone on deck and yeah I want to do everything I can to to get right so I can get back and help these boys new coaches are on the agenda now um let's talk about Jared scoffield who's taken over the Reigns I only met sko for the first time last week properly had a good chat to him yeah um I had a few text messages congratulating me on the job um say good luck good luck coach of the Eagles during the week which is very funny but can you tell us AIT about Jared scoffield I don't know much about him and you as a coach the last couple years at the club no SC is a ripper mate we've um obviously had him the last couple of years um I knew him before he obviously went over to port for a bit obviously his record at subie speaks for itself um but now he's a great coach um he's yeah he he'll Relish in that role I know we do everything he can to help us push out the back end of this year and um whatever happens from there sort of happens I guess but um he's direct he's what sort of coach is he um yeah he's direct direct coach which not everyone thinks Direct as he no it's not not that it's just more outline clear Direct on what we're doing um you like that I do like that yeah so um I think he's I think he's going to be great and not just SC we got obviously a lot of other coaches around him um I'm sure they will be working together try and do whatever they can to for us to keep moving forward which is that's that's what we're doing so um yeah I'm stoked for sco and um I'm looking forward to actually to playing under him as well so as much as my loyalty with Simo he's he always going to be there um you know switches across to him now and uh we'll do everything we can for him there's a few former teammates former coaches of yours that are in the running for the position as well as Jared scoffield there's others being floated a lot of rookies actually Dane Cox uh former rookie with the club Ash Hansen I believe could be very disrespectful to Ash but I think he could have been a rookie might not have been and Jamie Graham of course all uh former players at West Coast uh and coaches as well if you you been able to look at any of those or your job at hand what are your thoughts on any of those those talks oh look at the end of the day like it's it's a complete Club decision um you're back the club in for sure and um they'll make decisions that they need to obviously getting some past players back would be awesome but um yeah whoever gets it gets a role so um for for me yeah I'm not too worried about that aspect I guess it's that that's a club thing for us it's just I think as a playing group as Club whatever fits fits best for us to to keep improving and and hopefully get back to uh to some quality form which we're all chasing the whole club is playing group everyone so um yeah what will happen what happen in that space but um as much as it's sad seeing Simo goes it's it's exciting as well on the on the flip side of it of you know fresh voice um you know s different ideas I guess and and different way of doing things it's a little bit exciting as well so were you driving back for Simo or you driving back for the past players box that they've set up at the ground for simos know you're not a past player but I I believe um Simo has got some things on for his final game he's um I think he's flipping the coin so yeah I think he's flipping the coin and wav to the crowd he pumped by that you have to be a fake coin he'll probably put that coin in his pockets you and he would get so angry me saying that but um there were few few past players around and clearly people of being impacted by Simo across the way too yeah and that like that's the beauty of what like as much as this all sucks you know like you want him to go on forever but that's just the nature of football that it doesn't happen but um when these things do happen there is this good beautiful side of it in a way of you know the 18 boys and a lot of pass players have coached under him you know all getting together and chilling the fat again so hopefully we'll see Fair few of those boys around the club throughout this week and over the weekend so I'll be catching up hopefully catching up with a fair few with the 18 boys and and whoever's floating around so that's that's a nice thing that comes of these tough situations so um yeah it should be good seeing a few boys hopefully I'll be looking after myself and making sure I'm respectable I can't say say the same about a few of the boys that count to box with free I don't know if they're free beers but box with free beers um and a few of these boys there I might L up a little bit I think uh any final thoughts on Simo on uh future of theot Club the playing group how do you think the players have feel I know you haven't been back to the club but yeah I it's hard for me to judge yeah like ien I haven't been back at all but um I'm sure this mixed emotions like we we've all got mixed emotions about the whole thing and like I said it's it's sad saying my coach or our coach I guess if you've been with him for so long um leave but also at the same time it's it's a little bit exciting but um no I'm just uh I'm soed to be a part of um C's coaching career and um I'm honored to you know calling my coach for for a long time and I couldn't thank him enough um one as a footballer but two as a person he he's helped me out so much and um yeah I'll be forever indebted to him and you know he's he's a coach for such a long time but I do really think he's a mate now um that he's finished up I really do look at him as as a good friend and someone I'll I'll forever lean on I'm sure um but uh yeah it's he's not dead like he said before he's not dead but uh you know I I'll wish him and his family and Nikki and everyone all all the best going forward and um I'm looking forward to seeing what he does and hopefully he hangs around wa and have a beer with him one day and we can we can Che the fat about some of the old stories um before I let you leave it would be remiss of me to not mention the Jack Buckley medal the back chat bman of the Year award Tom Baris is in the top five at the moment um you I don't know if you've got many votes this year not obviously not D enough you you've been kicking the ball very well very well maybe a bit too much I wish I knew that before I come on you so T the top five it's actually just on your left of Jack Buckley it's right there in the casing so that was the inable medal I'll have a look at it now cuz I don't think I'm ever going to win one well well you might um uh Tom Baris tell us about him in his year and what do you think he's D enough to go and win the Jack yeah man TB for sure he's going to win it I hope what top five is he yeah so uh Harris Andrews is in there Sam Collins is in there Jack Buckley is in there Jacob weering is in there yeah look some good backman mate great backman there's there's so many good backman in the league at the moment um and I can't argue with any of them um except I'm not in there but that's no look to be honest I yeah that's a serious caliber top five for sure but um yeah I hope my boy TB gets up there we've got a seven games left now so I'll um have a word yeah I'll have a word to him let him know he's in the running for that for sure DX spoils even even sort of you know cracking the shits when your opponent kicks a goal that sort of stuff we can get him doing that for sure no yeah that's M that Obie Obie goes well in that big TB um it'd be an honor for him to win it it would be great a West Coast player ever won it well it's only just started Jack Buckley last year so so is it forever Jack Buckley yeah it is yeah that's amazing good I we could go back to back yeah corre correct just for the eternity of Jack butley screw just wins it um but no thought M oh yeah I'm glad you're doing it for the backs The Backs need a little bit of love and and I uh as a bman appreciate as much as I'm not in there I I appreciate everyone acknowledging some of the backs and hard work they doing yeah those boys that are playing uh that top five at the moment they're are they're all flying so um could be anyone's but um I'm glad you you're knuckling it down a little bit more and look a bit deeper than just actual playing you're going directly on bman a which is corre credible that's what we need um that's what just you just need something as a bman we don't get much so that that's nice back trap powered by paywise of course for season 2024 and Jeremy mgin joins us in studio thanks to paywise cuz they got him across the yes got me acrosso and the boys uh mate go get some sleep thanks for joining us I do thanks y