Mastermind behind 2023 Pies flag in “box seat” for vacant Eagles job

Collingwood assistant Hayden Skipworth is emerging as a leading contender for the vacant West Coast head coaching job according to AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich.

Skipworth presented to the club on Thursday and Gabelich says that the club couldn’t be more impressed with the Magpies assistant’s tactical nous.

He’s one of three remaining in the search to replace Adam Simpson alongside Melbourne assistant Andrew McQualter and Geelong assistant Steven King.

“I think Hayden Skipworth's in the box and he arrived in Perth on Thursday,” Gabelich said on SEN Sportsday.

“It was an interesting day at Perth airport if you’re a flight spotter because he and Andrew McQualter sauntered into town on different flights, and both sat down with the panel at the West Coast Eagles - Don Pyke and Harry Taylor are involved in that process.

“Of course, Steven King was also in Perth yesterday ahead of the Prelim, they're the three left in this.

“But Hayden Skipworth from people that you speak to that are in and around this process, they couldn’t be more impressed with him today.

“It doesn't mean he gets the role, but Richmond actually asked him to go through the process last year (to replace Damien Hardwick), he declined, it wasn’t the right time for him.”

Skipworth has been at Collingwood since 2020 where he’s served as head of the club’s academy and an assistant coach.

Gabelich says that many consider him to be the strategic mastermind behind the club’s 2023 premiership success.

“People at Collingwood couldn’t be more impressed with him,” Gabelich said.

“They think he was the mastermind behind their 2023 premiership and Craig McRae has spoken about this quite openly I reckon across the last 12 months or so and he’s very popular with the players.

“He’s done a long apprenticeship, he’s coached his own team. So, I think we're going to start hearing a lot more about Hayden Skipworth.

“When you see a key contender emerge late, sometimes it means that they might get it.”

Skipworth also shares a relationship with Eagles CEO Don Pyke, who was an assistant at Adelaide during his time as a player in the early 2000s.