West Coast Eagles Coach Andrew McQualter Downplays Pre-Season Defeat, Eyes Reinforcements for Season Opener
West Coast Eagles coach Andrew McQualter has played down the impact of a heavy 73-point pre-season loss to Port Adelaide, expressing confidence as he awaits the return of key reinforcements for the upcoming AFL season opener. The defeat occurred at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday, with the Eagles falling 22.8 (140) to 9.13 (67) in a match that saw their depleted backline struggle against Port Adelaide's offensive pressure.
Injury Concerns and Player Availability
McQualter highlighted that star recruit Brandon Starcevich and breakout defender Reuben Ginbey are expected to be "around the mark" for the season opener against Gold Coast at People First Stadium on March 15. However, the Eagles face a race against time with several players nursing injuries. Key backman Harry Edwards suffered a concussion in the second quarter after a collision with Power forward Ollie Lord, putting his availability in doubt.
Edwards joins a growing injury list that includes Ginbey, Starcevich, co-captain Liam Duggan (concussion), Tim Kelly (hamstring awareness), and Jack Graham (hamstring). McQualter acknowledged the challenges, stating, "It's a few weeks still before round one so we've got a little bit of time, but we're going to have a few players who are going to be really close, and we're going to have to make some decisions around how many of those guys who haven't had huge minutes come in and play round one."
Analysis of the Pre-Season Loss
More than 3000 fans attended the Eagles' final pre-season hit-out, only to witness a disappointing performance where the home side conceded the first eight goals and allowed 11 goals in the third term alone. Despite the lopsided scoreline, McQualter described the game as "strange" and emphasized that he wouldn't read too much into the result.
He pointed to positive statistics, such as winning the inside 50 count and time in forward half, but conceded that Port Adelaide's pressure was a key factor. "If you look at today, it's a strange game. In two periods of the game they piled on a bunch of goals, we won the inside 50 count, we won the time in forward half—usually stats that stack up pretty well," McQualter said. "We created over 30 front half turnovers, but I think it says over there we lose by 70 odd points. It's a strange game, not usually the outcome you would get from that game, but credit to Port, their pressure around the ball was red hot and we didn't handle that."
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
McQualter remains focused on the bigger picture, drawing on past experiences to put the pre-season result in perspective. "I've seen teams win a premiership and get smashed in their two pre-season games, and I've seen a team have a one-win season and win both their pre-season games, so I am certainly not going to ride the rollercoaster too much," he remarked. This pragmatic approach underscores his strategy to prioritize player recovery and readiness for the competitive matches ahead.
As the Eagles prepare for their clash with Gold Coast, the coach's optimism is tempered by the need for careful management of returning players. With Starcevich and Ginbey nearing fitness and other squad members in rehabilitation, West Coast aims to turn the page on this pre-season setback and start the 2026 AFL season on a stronger note.
