Latest news with #AndrewMcQualter
News.com.au
5 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
McQualter pleased with improving Eagles
AFL: Eagles coach Andrew McQualter has addressed the media, following his side's loss to Geelong at Optus Stadium.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Crows beware - Eagles have learnt how to win
West Coast are no longer scared of winning, and coach Andrew McQualter couldn't be prouder. The Eagles posted their first victory of the AFL season on Sunday with a 28-point upset of St Kilda at Optus Stadium. West Coast were a club in mourning entering the match following the tragic death of premiership Eagle Adam Selwood on Saturday at the age of 41. Eagles players channelled their emotions into producing their best pressure performance of the season. West Coast had suffered two-point losses to Essendon and Richmond in recent weeks. But when St Kilda fought back on Sunday to cut a 35-point margin back to 15 points early in the final quarter, West Coast refused to wilt. Jack Graham and Bailey Williams nailed clutch set shots, while Liam Ryan sealed the deal with two goals - one a clever snap from the pocket, and the other an audacious steal. Eagles' fans loved this one 😍#AFLDeadly | #AFLEaglesSaints — AFL (@AFL) May 18, 2025 West Coast still sit last on the ladder with a 1-9 record and remain hot favourites to collect the wooden spoon. But they now know how to win - and McQualter sees that as invaluable. "We've been in winnable positions a couple of times this year and we spoke about it during the week, about leaning into those moments and about not being scared of winning," McQualter said. "Clearly it's been a challenge for us this year, but we thought people owned their moments in the last quarter, which was really important. "I just thought our maturity and some critical moments late for our players ... it's pleasing to see and we will look to reward that during the week." McQualter believes the win will give his team a huge confidence boost. "I think it's massive. I think you have to learn to win," McQualter said. "We want to live in the moments where we have chances to win all the time. "And there's absolutely a skill in being able to win when the game's tight and it's at its most pressure and 50,000 people are screaming at you. "So great reward for our players, and we'll look to fuel that and use what we learned in that last quarter from a winning perspective during the week." It was easily West Coast's best four-quarter effort, with their tackling intensity and attack on the ball proving too much for St Kilda to handle. The Eagles are hopeful star defender Jeremy McGovern (concussion) will be fit to return to take on the Crows in Adelaide on Sunday, but small forward Matt Owies (calf) is set to miss. St Kilda slumped to a 4-6 record following their fifth loss in six matches. And it won't be any easier against high-flying Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. Saints coach Ross Lyon said midfielder Jack Macrae would require scans after sustaining a knee to the back.
News.com.au
18-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
McQualter on emotions of first win
AFL: West Coast coach Andrew McQualter speaks to the media after his first win as head coach of the Eagles in Round 10.
The Australian
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
AFL news 2025: Adam Selwood West Coast tribute
The spirit of Adam Selwood has propelled West Coast to its first win of the season against St Kilda, the club paying an emotional tribute to its premiership hero. Selwood passed away on Saturday in Perth, aged 41. It comes just three months after the loss of twin brother Troy. Just like Selwood, the Eagles were relentless, team-orientated and physical in their 28-point win against the Saints. The football world has been in mourning after the news of his tragic passing broke around 10am local time and nowhere was that more evident than at Optus Stadium on Sunday as two clubs and 42,860 fans paused to remember Selwood's life and career. A moments silence is observed to pay tribute to Adam Selwood. Picture:West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen spoke candidly about the importance of seeking help after he took time away from the club earlier this season following his meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell. 'Mental health is such a massive thing in society at the moment,' Allen told Fox Footy. 'I've struggled with (my) own mental battles this year. 'I've been so fortunate to have such a great support crew around me. 'I just urge anyone out there who is struggling with anything – please reach out. Helplines, friends reach out to each other because we're heartbroken.' Fresh off securing his first win as senior coach, Andrew McQualter said it's been an 'incredibly challenging time' for the football club. 'It's been one of the most emotional periods of my life,' McQualter said. 'I want to pay my respects to the Selwood family and all our thoughts are with them at this sad time. 'Adam impacted so many people that still work at our football club today. I thought the way our players represented the football club today we are incredibly proud of in challenging circumstances. 'When we got here today, we just asked people to play in the right spirit and put their emotions into being a great teammate like Adam was.' Jamie Cripps paid tribute to Selwood. Picture:Friends of Adam Selwood believe the grief of brother Troy's death had an effect on his mental health as he battled to find meaning after his brother's loss. Those friends and confidantes were shocked by the news of his death across the weekend. His closest friends had long been aware that like Troy, he too had suffered some mental health concerns in recent years. But they were rocked by the timing of his death so close to brother Troy's passing. Selwood had attempted to pay tribute to his brother with a charity run next weekend for charity Zero2hero as part of the HBF Run For A Reason. In the wake of his passing, Selwood's campaign has been flooded with more than $14,000 of donations from the general public. Pre-game, West Coast players, including Selwood's former teammate Jamie Cripps, were visibly emotional as the Eagles held a minute's silence. Donning black armbands, the players stood arm in arm as a photo of the 187-game Eagle was projected on the big screen accompanied by the caption 'Vale Adam Selwood.' Cripps poignantly slapped his black armband in after kicking a goal in the first quarter. Jake Waterman also pointed to the sky after kicking the opening goal of the game. 'I wasn't planning on doing it but I guess it means something if you do,' Waterman told this masthead post-game of his moving celebration. 'You've just got to let yourself feel. 'There's definitely been some tears over the last 24 hours or so trying to prepare for this game. 'It makes this win mean so much more than just a game of footy.' Eerily, West Coast's quarter time score of 4.2 (26) is the exact same tally the Eagles kicked in the first term of the 2006 grand final of which Selwood played a key part with 26 touches. The league said on Sunday it was open to any initiatives that helped spark the conversation about mental health as AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon urged those in football to check in on their friends and colleagues. The AFLPA is also open to a discussion about a mental health round which would shine a greater light on mental health advocacy. Players can access an AFL mental health wellbeing team of 37 people employed to support talent pathways, respond to mental health teams and focus on root causes of mental health problems. In the last five years the league has directed every club to employ a club psychologist. A video tribute also played at half-time, celebrating some of Selwood's finest moments as a footballer and his career as a development coach and head of AFLW, tasked with founding the club's women's team. It was met with a heartfelt applause.
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Tackle of the year!': Young cub's epic act sees Tigers down winless Eagles
Richmond have overcome a huge scare on Sunday afternoon, edging out West Coast with a heart-stopping two-point win on Sunday afternoon that keeps Andrew McQualter's Eagles winless in 2025. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every AFL match this Saturday LIVE. Catch all the action in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. In a game that had an incredible 15 lead changes, a Tom Lynch behind with just under five minutes to go put the Tigers ahead by a singular point, before recently re-signed young gun Tom Brown sealed the result with a game-saving tackle on Eagles sub Tom Gross. The final score read 11.15 (81) to West Coast's 11.13 (79), securing Richmond's third win of the year to separate themselves significantly from the bottom two teams on the ladder — North Melbourne and the Eagles. In a showing of just how much this game meant to both sides, the pressure factor hit an extraordinary 252-249 in the last 10 minutes, ever so slightly led by Richmond. The Tigers have now won seven of their last nine games over the Eagles, including five of their last six. West Coast remain without a win at the MCG since Round 8, 2021 — and will have to wait until at least next year to break that curse. Star on-baller Tim Taranto was around the action all day for the hosts, collecting 27 disposals, seven clearances and a goal, while Tom Lynch looked prominent up forward for his 17 disposals and two goals. For West Coast, Jamie Cripps kicked three majors. Both sides were dealt crucial blows inside the final hour leading up to the first bounce, with Oscar Allen and Jayden Short each withdrawn with separate knee issues. Harry Edwards and James Trezise were their respective replacements. 3. TIGERS 'GO TO WORK' ON WEAKNESS, OVERCOME 'DISAPPOINTING' BLIP AMID 15 LEAD CHANGES In a game that saw 15 lead changes throughout, the Tigers claimed an especially sweet third win of the season against a couple of departed ex-teammates and their former (interim) coach. The Tigers couldn't capitalise to a fuller extent on their forward-half territory dominance in the first quarter, despite recording eight more inside-50s and 15 more contested possessions. 'Based on the Tigers this season, their best contested possession differential (for a match) is +12. That's what they're riding at, at the moment. They're certainly going the inside game,' Hawthorn great Ben Dixon said on Fox Footy in the first quarter. At quarter-time, dual AFLW All-Australian Ruby Schleicher highlighted an area of the game Richmond 'went to work on' following its loss to Hawthorn last Sunday. 'That quarter really was dominated by Richmond and their back-half ball movement,' she said. 'Their ability to move the ball out of their back half, moving it at 67 per cent at the moment — the AFL average is 23 per cent — so (it's) a massive amount. 'They've just got runners, they're looking corridor, they're looking to the fat side, and they have runners to go by.' The Tigers managed just 84 contested possessions for the match against the Hawks, but they already racked up 39 by quarter-time on Sunday. 'That's a clear stat that Adem Yze has gone to work on, and they're really doing it here,' Schleicher added. But the home side took its foot off the gas pedal in the second term, letting the Eagles back into the contest amid nine lead changes. At half-time, senior Richmond defender Nathan Broad said it was 'disappointing' the way the Tigers allowed West Coast to make a run. 'Credit to them, they fought back, but (it was) disappointing by our group. We started really, really well, and then I think we just got too cute, to be honest. 'We went away from our system football and we let them back in it … just (about) playing the basics. Playing our system and our way. I think when we go away from that, it's unpredictable for our team, and you see what happens — we let them back into the game.' The Tigers struggled with the Eagles' rising pressure around the ball in the third, with a classy Rhyan Mansell bouncing goal coming at a crucial point; against the run of play and to reduce their deficit to two points late in the third. Then, Toby Nankervis marked deep inside the forward line and saluted to put the Tigers back in front. 'This game changes again!' exclaimed Fox Footy caller Corbin Middlemas as the home side took a four-point lead into the final change. At three-quarter-time, Richmond had 47 more disposals than West Coast, 14 more contested possessions and 30 more uncontested — but four fewer inside-50s, 16 fewer tackles and nine fewer centre clearances. Intriguingly, the Tigers under Adem Yze entered 0-26 when conceding more than 80 points, while they entered 4-1 when allowing less than that total. Key forward Thomas Sims made his AFL debut on Sunday, lining up alongside spearhead Tom Lynch and fellow first-year attacker Jonty Faull. Contested midfielder Kane McAuliffe was recalled for his first match of the season. Rebounding defender Jayden Short was a late, late out due to injury, with James Trezise shifting into the 23 as the starting sub. 2. MCQUALTER'S EAGLES RECOVER FROM 'DOMINANT' TIGERS START... BUT STILL FALL JUST SHORT In West Coast's first and only MCG visit for the season, five Eagles played on the hallowed turf for the first time on Sunday — and while they were gallant in defeat, at the outset, Andrew McQualter's men looked uncomfortable amid what is now an 11-game losing streak. Richmond got to the ball first, winning at the source, and it took some time for the Eagles to get settled in the contest. 'The Eagles made the scoreline look a bit more favourable than it was,' Ruby Schleicher said at quarter-time as they trailed by only seven points. But the visitors turned the tables in the second stanza, converting their stoppage dominance on the scoreboard in a topsy-turvy term where momentum swung by the minute. 'It's been a tale of two quarters; we saw Richmond really dominate that first quarter ... but for West Coast, it's their centre bounce (that has flexed),' Schleicher said at half-time. 'Centre clearances, they've got 10 — and they've scored seven times from centre bounce, which is their equal-best ever result from this source. 'I put it down to the personnel that are getting to work in there. 'Harley Reid's getting involved in the plays; just getting on the move. He's a big body, so making them take his body. If he's not getting the ball, he's getting the free kick.' The Eagles had doubled Richmond's centre-clearance number in the first half. And after a relatively sluggish start to the second half, West Coast upped its pressure to an elite 213 to startle the Tigers, reducing the margin back to one point halfway through the third. Trailing by four entering the final term, Harley Reid made it lead-change number 12 for the match with a long-range bomb to lift his side. Sunday afternoon represented McQualter's first trip back to the MCG since his days as Richmond's interim coach in 2023. McQualter, whose Punt Road tenure spanned a decade, managed a 7-6 record during that time and was among those in consideration for the Tigers' permanent gig. 'It's the first time I've ever come to this venue on a bus, so that was a bit of a unique experience for me,' McQualter joked on Fox Footy pre-game. And while McQualter is in familiar territory, but as the enemy, it's the same situation for premiership Tigers Liam Baker and Jack Graham, who faced off against their old teammates for the first time since the pair made their way to West Coast last off-season. Baker played in the 2019 and 2020 Richmond premiership triumphs, while Graham played in the 2017 and 2020 flag glories. 'They've played on the big stage here multiple times and played a lot of winning football over the years, so they've been really valuable … providing a level of leadership as well as their quality of play,' McQualter said on Sunday. The Eagles withdrew Oscar Allen less than an hour before the first bounce due to a knee issue, who was replaced by Harry Edwards. 1. 'MATE...': GREAT'S STAGING WARNING TO TIGER… BUT EAGLE MUST BE 'REALLY CAREFUL' It was a match that featured former teammates and a clash between the two most recent No.1 draft picks, but an unexpected rivalry formed between Luke Trainor and Tyler Brockman. First, Richmond's first-year interceptor clattered late into a marking Brockman, giving away a 50-metre penalty — before Brockman retaliated with a hit to the back of Trainor, prompting a reversal from the umpire. It resulted in a Tigers goal. A costly free kick reversal gifts the Tigers a goal 😬 ðŸ'° Watch #AFLTigersEagles LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: âœ�ï¸� BLOG ðŸ'¢ MATCH CENTRE — Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 11, 2025 Later, an off-ball scuffle between the pair led to a high Brockman 'jumper-punch' on Trainor. 'Just needs to settle down a little, here,' Dermott Brereton said of a fiery Brockman. But at quarter-time, the Fox Footy commentary crew revisited the incident, with Brereton somewhat changing his tune as he cautioned Trainor. 'He's just got to be really careful. It's a bit of a jumper-punch, but … the umpire was 15 metres away looking at it — directly looking at it — and he took no punitive action whatsoever,' Brereton said. 'And, look, you don't like to cast aspersions, but that's the third time Trainor's gone to ground on what seems a frivolous act in the one quarter. 'He (Brockman) definitely did something with him, it was a bit of a jumper shove-push … (but) what I would say is if I was an older teammate (of Trainor), I'd say 'mate, keep your feet'. 'He's a man. He's playing league footy, open-age, AFL. Keep your feet.' Ben Dixon said: 'I agree with you on that one.'
