Junior Clubs: Colac/Geelong Falcons U18
Clubs: Sydney Swans, Geelong VFL, Geelong, Box Hill Hawks, Hawthorn
Debut: 2012
Recruited from: Hawthorn (Delisted)
Brownlow Votes: 1
Simpkin had another stellar year for the Box Hill Hawks winning their best and fairest award but was unable to break into the senior team.
The talented midfielder was delisted at the end of the season after playing 33-games for the Hawks, including in the 2013 Grand Final.
Made the sub’s role his own in 2014, able to come on the ground and immediately make a contribution with his ability to hunt the footy. The hard-at-it midfielder was squeezed out of the Grand Final side once Cyril Rioli returned, an unfortunate end to a season in which the Hawks believed he played better than 2013 when he won a premiership medal. Simpkin has resolved to become an automatic best-22 player this year.
Signed by the Hawks as a delisted free agent at the end of 2012 after being let go by Geelong, Simpkin capped an excellent first season in brown and gold by playing in the Box Hill VFL premiership and Hawthorn's AFL premiership within six days. A hard-at-it midfielder, the Colac product was called into the Grand Final team as the substitute after his standout performance in the VFL decider.
Simpkin signed with the Hawks in Novemeber as a delisted free agent after being an unlucky casualty of Geelong's rookie list squeeze. The 25-year-old impressed in his four games with the Cats in 2011 and also made it back-to-back best and fairest for the Club's VFL team. A good runner who can kick goals, he will be used in the midfield and at half-forward.
Premiership Medalist - 2013 Hawthorn
Norm Goss Memorial Medallist - 2013 Box Hill Hawks
Premiership Medallist - 2013 Box Hill Hawks
Premiership Medallist - 2012 Geelong (VFL)
Best and Fairest -2012 Geelong (VFL)
Best and Fairest - 2011 Geelong (VFL)
