Leader of men: Adam Simpson addresses the Eagles huddle. Credit:Getty Images I remember a fair bit about Simmo. He was taken as a first-round draft pick (selection 14) in 1993 and from the moment he set foot in the door he was easily one of the most relaxed players at the club. He loved to have a laugh and joke with the boys and retained that kind of attitude until the very last minute before a game. I was largely the same and we'd often be fooling around trying to out-do one another with one-handed grabs in the changerooms (or even karaoke!) while our teammates tried their utmost to ignore us and prepare in their own way. By contrast, when I remember back to Alastair Clarkson and Johnny Longmire, it's as though they were destined to make the transition into coaching. Clarko, the hard-nosed school teacher who was himself a great student of the game … and Longmire, who had that edge about him. A great country bloke at heart, but someone who was always pretty serious and clearly uses that hardness with the Swans. Yet as jovial as Simmo seemed on the outside, when you scratched the surface you quickly realised he shared many of the same qualities that make great leaders. He was fiercely determined. Resolute. Proud. Always one of the lads, yet he had a mature side. And he just didn't like losing - not just as a footballer. In his very first pre-season at North, we ran a basketball tournament between the Kangas as a bit of fun and it was clear that Simmo could play. In one particular match, Anthony Rock really gave it to him, testing him with a physical and verbal barrage, but the young rookie was having none of it and would eventually go on to lead his teammates to victory. Some thought he was cocky, but he was just confident in his ability.

Simpson (left) in his playing days with Kangaroos teammates Brent Harvey and Carey. Credit:Sebastian Costanzo That was the first real sign of the attitude that would underpin Simmo's playing career and it yielded tremendous success. He played more than 300 games, captained North for five years, was an All-Australian, won a club best and fairest and two premierships, in 1996 and 1999. That's a resume that would stack up against any footballer's, let alone his fellow coaches. Whatever Simmo's secret ingredient was as a footballer, it's clear that it's also having an impact as a coach. I've long said that the coaches of today need to be shrinks in the way they individually manage players and Simmo's people skills must be coming to the fore. The proof is in the pudding. Not only are the Eagles tasting success, but the players really seem to be enjoying the contest. That enjoyment can be rare in footy, but it was something that Simmo was able to combine as a player because of his nature. That has resulted in one of the most astonishing transformations I've ever seen at a club. I'd argue that every player on the Eagles' list has had his career-best season, this year. Andrew Gaff has made the All-Australian team on the wing, Josh Kennedy, too, at full forward. Sharrod Wellingham has finally proven why he was so sought after, Elliott Yeo is an absolute superstar in the making, Luke Shuey and Nic Naitanui have been unbelievable and even Matthew Priddis has improved since winning the Brownlow. And that's just to name a few. And as plain as it seems that Simmo has been a really good fit for the players, it also seems evident that the Eagles have benefited from the retirements of Darren Glass and Beau Waters and the injuries to Mitch Brown and Eric McKenzie.

As jovial as Simmo seemed on the outside ... you quickly realised he shared many of the same qualities that make great leaders. It has forced a change to their game plan. Gone is any resistance to move the ball forward at pace. They've stopped mucking around with it. Instead, they're attacking with flare and confidence and Kennedy and co. are reaping the rewards. At the same time, they've developed their own form of defence that is strangling their opposition. It's unlike any other team's. They zone and guard space and give assistance to one another, while smart defenders such as Jeremy McGovern just read the game. All in all, the Eagles - in Perth - loom as one heck of an assignment for North, who made history by becoming the first team from eighth position to make a preliminary final. One of their former sons will be hell-bent on not letting them go any further.