“We’ll back in that they’ll get it right sooner or later. I’m not overly concerned by the surface.”
Former Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt this week labelled the Optus Stadium turf as “sub par”, while Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir also expressed some concerns.
“It’s less than ideal,” he said.
“It’s a slippery surface ... inconsistent where the new grass is laid versus the old grass.”
West Coast have stopped holding their main training sessions at Optus Stadium.
Simpson said that decision was partly due to the slippery surface, but mainly because his team are better suited to using the two ovals at their home base of Mineral Resources Park.
West Coast will be boosted by the return of Harley Reid (suspension) and Tim Kelly (hip) against the Hawks.
Harley Reid is back this weekend.Credit: Getty Images
But Elliot Yeo remains in doubt following the death of his father Craig on Monday night.
Simpson says he will give Yeo right up until bounce down to decide whether he wants to play.
“He’s got the flexibility Elliot this week. We’ve really tried to respect the situation he’s going through, which is tragic,” Simpson said.
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“He popped into the club (on Thursday) for the morning. He’s here today, and we’ll see how he goes through the captain’s run.
“We’ll give him up to the last minute before the game.
“If he feels like he’s not up for it, then he won’t (play).”
The Eagles suffered a blow at training this week when Jack Petruccelle tweaked his hamstring.
Petruccelle and forward Liam Ryan added some pace and X-factor into the midfield during last week’s 30-point loss to Essendon.
AAP
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