Why Eagles picked McQualter, what he needs to do first

NEWLY installed West Coast coach Andrew McQualter arrives with the development credentials and premiership experience that the Eagles require as they plot a path back up the ladder.

With a "firm vision" for the club and the qualities required to bring it to life, the Eagles were thrilled to announce the 38-year-old would be their seventh AFL coach after a three-month search that began in early July.

As Damien Hardwick's right-hand man at Richmond during a 10-year coaching stint at the club, he will bring a wealth of successful experience built through the 2017, 2019 and 2020 premiership seasons.

But first the Eagles must build their young list into a group that contend again, making McQualter's development experience, which started with the Tigers' VFL team in a playing and coaching role in 2014, equally important.

The former St Kilda player brings a coaching approach to West Coast that is built on loyalty, hard work and dedication, with a busy period sure to follow his first press conference on Monday afternoon. These shape as his main priorities in the months to follow.

Confirm the Eagles' player movement priorities
Richmond players Liam Baker and Jack Graham have been holding out on their trade and free agency decisions, but now appear set on joining the Eagles under McQualter, who they are tied to through the Tigers' premiership era. McQualter has an existing relationship with list manager Matthew Clarke and will quickly be on the same page with the club's list boss, making the next period easier to navigate.

Make decisions on out-of-contract players
There is a group of West Coast players waiting on 2025 contracts after Adam Simpson's departure in July, with McQualter's arrival set to give them clarity on their futures. The group includes defenders Josh Rotham and Alex Witherden, midfielders Luke Edwards and Jai Culley, and half-back Coby Burgiel. How McQualter views the group, as well as the amount of available list spots after the exchange period, will determine their futures.

Settle on off-field structure
Most senior coaches have a right-hand man or past colleague they attempt to bring with them to a new coaching job, and it will be interesting to see who McQualter can secure to fill the current assistant coaching vacancy after Matthew Knights' departure. The Eagles are also on the hunt for a head of development, which the new coach would likely play a key role now in identifying. Current assistants might also shift in their roles after McQualter has settled in. Working with contracted assistant Jarrad Schofield, who was a candidate through the process, will also be on the agenda.

Set the foundations
The Eagles played with a focus on contest, pressure, and front-half football in 2024, but McQualter will bring his own philosophies to the club that will require specific focuses through the pre-season. Working with the coaching and high-performance teams on the summer focuses will be a priority. While there were impressive elements to the Eagles' game in 2024, particularly in some hotly contested games under Schofield, there were deficiencies in defending opposition ball-movement that McQualter will want to eliminate.

Secure the future  
Meeting one-on-one with all the players on his list will be on the agendas, but Harley Reid could well be the first coffee McQualter locks in as the dust settles on the young star's brilliant debut season. Building a strong relationship and showing Reid why the club has a bright future under its new coach will be important, ideally resulting in a contract extension for the 19-year-old beyond the two years remaining on his initial three-year deal.