Adam Simpson: Former West Coast Eagles coach to present Jock McHale Medal to winning coach at 2025 grand final

In the moments after West Coast’s 2018 grand final win, Adam Simpson received his Jock McHale Medal as the winning coach from former mentor Denis Pagan.

Seven years later, if we see another WA club taste premiership success, it’ll be Simpson handing out the medal to one of his proteges.

Simpson was on Monday announced as the AFL’s presenter for the Jock McHale Medal, meaning he’ll be the man who meets Justin Longmuir on stage should Fremantle snare a history-making flag.

Longmuir was an assistant under Simpson for four seasons from 2014 to 2017, before tasting defeat to the Eagles in 2018 as a member of Collingwood’s coaching staff ahead of taking the reins at the Dockers.

Simpson becomes the third West Coast premiership coach in the past eight years to present the Jock McHale Medal. Mick Malthouse was on the dais with Damien Hardwick after Richmond’s triumph in 2017, while John Worsfold was on hand for the Perth grand final in 2021 when Simon Goodwin’s Melbourne prevailed.

Hawthorn great Luke Hodge will hand out this year’s Norm Smith Medal, having snared the prize himself in 2008 and 2014, while 1965 Essendon premiership captain Ken Fraser is set to present the Ron Barassi medal to the winning skipper.

Former Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt has been announced as the AFL’s premiership cup ambassador, and former umpire Michael Dye will present medals to the grand final whistleblowers.

“I am thrilled that Ken, Luke, Adam, Michael and Jack will join us on grand final day — they have all been a part of some memorable moments at the ‘G in years gone by,” AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said.

“We look forward to them presenting many of the most significant awards in our game to the winners and creating another chapter in our grand final history.”