Former West Coast coach Adam Simpson believes Eagles ‘gave up’ on Oscar Allen

Former West Coast coach Adam Simpson believes the club “gave up” on co-captain Oscar Allen ahead of his decision to join Brisbane as a free agent.

Allen officially requested a move to the reigning premiers last month, confirming one of the worst-kept secrets in the AFL.

The 26-year-old, who was named co-captain alongside Liam Duggan ahead of Simpson’s final campaign as coach in 2024, was heavily criticised for meeting with a rival coach in March.

Allen’s meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell following the round three western derby loss to Fremantle was made public later that week and prompted him to publicly apologise.

But Simpson, who drafted Allen to the Eagles with pick 21 in 2017, believes it was the club who ultimately let the uncontracted forward walk.

“Not often a club gives up on a captain but that’s what I thought West Coast did,” Simpson told SEN.

The Eagles confirmed Allen’s request last month, saying they would consider their position ahead of the AFL’s free agency period, which begins on October third.

“As Oscar is a restricted free agent, we retain the right to match any offer made to him by another club and Oscar understands that,” the statement read.

“We will work through the next steps in this process as they unfold, assess our options and make a considered decision.”

The Eagles are set to receive band-one compensation for Allen, a restricted free agent, which will hand the club pick two in the 2025 draft.

West Coast already hold the first selection after finishing on the bottom of the ladder, while former first-round pick Campbell Chesser and premiership forward Liam Ryan have also requested trades this off-season.

Chesser is reportedly keen to join Carlton, while Ryan has officially nominated St Kilda as his preferred destination.

Simpson’s comments follow the bombshell revelation that a second club captain had met with a rival coach this week.

Essendon skipper Zach Merrett met with Mitchell on Tuesday and has also been linked to Collingwood as he chases success in the final years of his career.

Simpson, who has previously revealed he met with rival captains during his tenure as West Coast coach, admits it was “a big deal” for skippers to look elsewhere.

“I’ve met a few captains you do it in such silence... you do it off broadway and no one’s going to see you,” he said.

“A leader and the captain really drive the cultural part of your footy club, so to meet another club that’s a big deal.”

Essendon coach Brad Scott stood firm firm when asked about Merrett’s future at the club on Wednesday.

“He’s our contracted captain, our club’s position is that we will not be trading him under any circumstances,” he said.

Merrett is tied to the Bombers until the end of 2027 with Scott adamant the 29-year-old will see out his current deal.

“I love Zach, and he’s just so desperate for success…. but our club’s position is he’s our captain. He’s contracted for two years,” Scott said.

“We’ve adjusted his contract to reflect his performance, and we expect him to see it through.”

“He made a commitment. A lot of agents are running with at the moment ‘just sign long-term contracts, and if you want to move, we’ll move you’.

“Well, that’s not the world I live in. The world I live in is if you make a commitment, then you see it through.”