CREDIT: Facebook/West Coast Eagles

Former Hawthorn Football Club assistant coach Adam Simpson has been chosen to be the head coach of the West Coast Eagles. Simpson, who also played as midfielder for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 1995-2009, reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Eagles.

The official announcement of Simpson's appointment as senior coach will be on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, at a press conference in Perth, Western Australia.

Simpson replaced John Worsfold, the West Coast Eagles coach of 12 years. There were talks of extending Worsfold's contract, but he quit in the middle of negotiations in Sept. 2013.

Simpson, 37, was chosen over other candidates, including West Coast Eagles assistant coach Scott Burns, Fremantle assistant coach Peter Sumich and Sydney Swans assistant coach Leigh Tudor. 14 candidates were considered for the job before Simpson was selected as the Eagles' sixth senior coach.

West Coast Eagles chairman Alan Cransberg said that they were "delighted with the quality of the applicants."

"It was a tough job for the selection panel and the board to arrive at this unanimous decision, but we believe Adam is best equipped to take the club forward," Cransberg said.

Colleague Alastair Clarkson, who is Hawthorn's current coach was the one who endorsed Simpson for the Eagles' senior post.

"I am grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to moving across to Perth with my family and settling in to the challenge ahead," Simpson said in a statement.

"I have always admired West Coast from afar and I believe the list has an exciting mix of senior and emerging young players."

"I will move across to Perth as soon as possible and I look forward to meeting the players and working with them from the start of pre-season." Simpson added.

A premiership player in 1996 and 1999, Simpson played 306 football games in 15 seasons with the North Melbourne Football Club, also known as The Kangaroos, before retiring in 2009. He was also the Kangaroos' captain from 2004-2008.

In 2002, he earned the North Melbourne Best and Fairest award and became part of the All-Australian team.

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