West Coast will be the ultimate ‘Dad’s Army’ during the upcoming finals series, and coach Adam Simpson couldn’t be happier.
The Eagles will field up to 11 fathers in Thursday night’s elimination final against Essendon at Optus Stadium.
Tom Hickey was the latest player to join the Dad’s Army, with the ruckman’s partner giving berth last week.
Lewis Jetta, Will Schofield, Jeremy McGovern, Willie Rioli, Liam Ryan, Jack Redden, Luke Shuey, Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, and Chris Masten are the other dads in the group.
Simpson, who is a father to four kids himself, said the family-friendly environment helped create better players.
“It’s unique. I’ve never seen it at a club before,” Simpson said.
“We’ve got 11 or 12 players with kids, and we’re not that old. A lot of our players have been married and had kids very early.
“We need to embrace that part of our club and culture. We have a real family oriented environment.
“In this new place (Lathlain training base) there’s kids running around everywhere. I think it makes for better players.
“After the games or during the week, as much as we can get the kids around and families, it just makes them better players – more rounded.”
Jetta praised Simpson for helping create a family-friendly environment, saying it helps the players relax during stressful moments.
“Over the four years I’ve been here now, he’s just a family man. It’s noticeable with all the family things we do,” Jetta said.
“One thing I noticed is that after the games, win, lose, or draw you see all the kids running around in the change rooms, sometimes coming into meetings.
“When we lose you don’t even think about footy. You see the kids having fun, so you zone right off and you go and have fun with the kids.”
Rioli says the family environment helped everyone feel at ease.
“For me, anything to do with caring for another person or anything to do with family is special,” Rioli said.
“There’s a lot of players with kids that will grow up with each other.
“It’s a real family feeling around the club. This club is where I want my son to grow up and be around.”
