Latest news with #McQualter
West Australian
19 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
West Coast Eagles coach Andrew McQualter says stopping Geelong Cats star Jeremy Cameron will be team effort
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter admits it will take more than one man to stop Geelong megastar Jeremy Cameron, as the athletic forward looms large against West Coast on Sunday. Cameron kicked an equal career-high nine goals in the Cats' last meeting against the Eagles — a 93-point smashing at GMHBA Stadium in the final round of last season. The 32-year-old booted seven goals before half-time as Geelong led by a whopping 100 points at the main break to set up the massive victory at Eagles' notorious bogey ground. Reuben Ginbey was given the near-impossible task of trying to stop Cameron and he may get the job again with West Coast's All-Australian defender Jeremy McGovern sidelined because of concussion. Key defenders Sandy Brock and Harry Edwards are also options for McQualter. Cameron was the Coleman Medal leader heading into the round with 33 goals in 11 games, having hit arguably career-best form with 13 goals in his past two matches. McQualter said the Eagles would have a 'few plans' for Cameron but conceded that stopping the forward was going to be a team effort. 'We appreciate how good of a player he is. He's a superstar of the competition,' McQualter said. 'He can play high, played a little bit of midfield a couple of weeks ago and then obviously gets deep and plays there as well. 'We're going to have a few plans for him clearly but like any key forward in the competition, the only actual way to stop him is pressure on the ball. 'If you're relying on a one-on-one match-up with Jeremy Cameron, you're going to be a bit of strife when they've got flow on the ball. So, we need to ensure that there's good pressure on the ball up the field.' West Coast's hopes of an upset were dealt a massive blow at the start of the week when star forward Jake Waterman's season was declared over due to a shoulder injury. Waterman, forward-ruck Bailey Williams (managed) and Tom Gross (omitted) have come out of the side, with Jack Williams, Archer Reid and top draftee Bo Allan all named in the 23. The loss of Waterman means McQualter doesn't have any of the top three from last year's John Worsfold Medal at his disposal, with McGovern and Elliot Yeo (ankle) also sidelined. 'Unfortunately, I just can't spend too much time on it,' McQualter said when asked about their absence. 'I love our best players out there playing every week and those three guys are so important to the way we play but that's footy, there's always going to be injuries in our game, and we just don't have too much time to dwell on it. 'We have got to keep helping develop the rest of our players and try to pick the best team to win each week.' Geelong are still without skipper Patrick Dangerfield because of a hamstring injury and have rested Jed Bews, with rising star fancy Connor O'Sullivan back into the side.
Perth Now
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Cameron conundrum: How Eagles plan to stop ‘superstar' Cat
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter admits it will take more than one man to stop Geelong megastar Jeremy Cameron, as the athletic forward looms large against West Coast on Sunday. Cameron kicked an equal career-high nine goals in the Cats' last meeting against the Eagles — a 93-point smashing at GMHBA Stadium in the final round of last season. The 32-year-old booted seven goals before half-time as Geelong led by a whopping 100 points at the main break to set up the massive victory at Eagles' notorious bogey ground. Reuben Ginbey was given the near-impossible task of trying to stop Cameron and he may get the job again with West Coast's All-Australian defender Jeremy McGovern sidelined because of concussion. Key defenders Sandy Brock and Harry Edwards are also options for McQualter. Cameron was the Coleman Medal leader heading into the round with 33 goals in 11 games, having hit arguably career-best form with 13 goals in his past two matches. Ginbey got the match-up on Cameron last time the two sides met. Credit: Kelly Defina / Getty Images McQualter said the Eagles would have a 'few plans' for Cameron but conceded that stopping the forward was going to be a team effort. 'We appreciate how good of a player he is. He's a superstar of the competition,' McQualter said. 'He can play high, played a little bit of midfield a couple of weeks ago and then obviously gets deep and plays there as well. 'We're going to have a few plans for him clearly but like any key forward in the competition, the only actual way to stop him is pressure on the ball. 'If you're relying on a one-on-one match-up with Jeremy Cameron, you're going to be a bit of strife when they've got flow on the ball. So, we need to ensure that there's good pressure on the ball up the field.' Jeremy Cameron. Credit: Kelly Defina / Getty Images West Coast's hopes of an upset were dealt a massive blow at the start of the week when star forward Jake Waterman's season was declared over due to a shoulder injury. Waterman, forward-ruck Bailey Williams (managed) and Tom Gross (omitted) have come out of the side, with Jack Williams, Archer Reid and top draftee Bo Allan all named in the 23. The loss of Waterman means McQualter doesn't have any of the top three from last year's John Worsfold Medal at his disposal, with McGovern and Elliot Yeo (ankle) also sidelined. 'Unfortunately, I just can't spend too much time on it,' McQualter said when asked about their absence. 'I love our best players out there playing every week and those three guys are so important to the way we play but that's footy, there's always going to be injuries in our game, and we just don't have too much time to dwell on it. 'We have got to keep helping develop the rest of our players and try to pick the best team to win each week.' Geelong are still without skipper Patrick Dangerfield because of a hamstring injury and have rested Jed Bews, with rising star fancy Connor O'Sullivan back into the side.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Surf's up as Eagles welcome reinforcements to the nest
West Coast's mid-season reinforcements could be thrust into AFL action in the coming weeks and they're also being encouraged to let loose on the waves in Perth. The Eagles used pick No.1 in the mid-season rookie draft to snare late bloomer Tom McCarthy, who was playing division-two football for Highett in the Southern Football Netball League before joining Richmond's VFL program last year. West Coast were initially planning on having only one pick in the draft, but Jake Waterman's season-ending shoulder injury meant they were able to add South Australian Jacob Newton as well. McCarthy will line up for West Coast's WAFL side this Saturday and a strong performance there could land him a senior call-up as early as next week. Newton is nursing a minor quad injury that will keep him out of action this week, but there's hope he will be able to replenish West Coast's battered stocks in the near future. The Eagles have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. Jeremy McGovern's career could be over due to concussion, Waterman will undergo season-ending surgery this week while Jamie Cripps (knee) and Matt Owies (calf) will be sidelined for at least three more weeks. Star midfielder Elliot Yeo, who is yet to play this season due to a serious ankle injury that required surgery, is still 5-6 weeks away from resuming, while Dom Sheed suffered a season-ending knee injury during the summer. Newton loves surfing - a sport that comes with huge risks for professional athletes. GWS captain Toby Greene almost drowned last year while attempting to paddle out across a dangerous reef section in Bali, while Kangaroos defender Griffin Logue and former Demons skipper Nathan Jones suffered cut foots while surfing. But McQualter doesn't want his players to live in a bubble and is encouraging Newton - or anyone else for that matter - to jump on a surfboard. "We encourage that, it's good," McQualter said. "I was speaking to Crippa yesterday, he told me he used to surf a lot when he was younger and it was the fittest he'd ever been. "So we might have to get a few more of our boys to start surfing." West Coast were interested in snaring Newton during last year's national draft, but they decided against it after the 18-year-old was struck down by a foot injury. McQualter is flagging a role up forward for Newton with a possible move into the midfield down the track. McCarthy, 24, is set to play across half-back with some stints in the midfield. "When you watch him play, you see his speed, he's a beautiful kick, and he also has some really good hands as well," McQualter said of McCarthy. West Coast (1-10) are back in action on Sunday when they host Geelong. West Coast's mid-season reinforcements could be thrust into AFL action in the coming weeks and they're also being encouraged to let loose on the waves in Perth. The Eagles used pick No.1 in the mid-season rookie draft to snare late bloomer Tom McCarthy, who was playing division-two football for Highett in the Southern Football Netball League before joining Richmond's VFL program last year. West Coast were initially planning on having only one pick in the draft, but Jake Waterman's season-ending shoulder injury meant they were able to add South Australian Jacob Newton as well. McCarthy will line up for West Coast's WAFL side this Saturday and a strong performance there could land him a senior call-up as early as next week. Newton is nursing a minor quad injury that will keep him out of action this week, but there's hope he will be able to replenish West Coast's battered stocks in the near future. The Eagles have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. Jeremy McGovern's career could be over due to concussion, Waterman will undergo season-ending surgery this week while Jamie Cripps (knee) and Matt Owies (calf) will be sidelined for at least three more weeks. Star midfielder Elliot Yeo, who is yet to play this season due to a serious ankle injury that required surgery, is still 5-6 weeks away from resuming, while Dom Sheed suffered a season-ending knee injury during the summer. Newton loves surfing - a sport that comes with huge risks for professional athletes. GWS captain Toby Greene almost drowned last year while attempting to paddle out across a dangerous reef section in Bali, while Kangaroos defender Griffin Logue and former Demons skipper Nathan Jones suffered cut foots while surfing. But McQualter doesn't want his players to live in a bubble and is encouraging Newton - or anyone else for that matter - to jump on a surfboard. "We encourage that, it's good," McQualter said. "I was speaking to Crippa yesterday, he told me he used to surf a lot when he was younger and it was the fittest he'd ever been. "So we might have to get a few more of our boys to start surfing." West Coast were interested in snaring Newton during last year's national draft, but they decided against it after the 18-year-old was struck down by a foot injury. McQualter is flagging a role up forward for Newton with a possible move into the midfield down the track. McCarthy, 24, is set to play across half-back with some stints in the midfield. "When you watch him play, you see his speed, he's a beautiful kick, and he also has some really good hands as well," McQualter said of McCarthy. West Coast (1-10) are back in action on Sunday when they host Geelong. West Coast's mid-season reinforcements could be thrust into AFL action in the coming weeks and they're also being encouraged to let loose on the waves in Perth. The Eagles used pick No.1 in the mid-season rookie draft to snare late bloomer Tom McCarthy, who was playing division-two football for Highett in the Southern Football Netball League before joining Richmond's VFL program last year. West Coast were initially planning on having only one pick in the draft, but Jake Waterman's season-ending shoulder injury meant they were able to add South Australian Jacob Newton as well. McCarthy will line up for West Coast's WAFL side this Saturday and a strong performance there could land him a senior call-up as early as next week. Newton is nursing a minor quad injury that will keep him out of action this week, but there's hope he will be able to replenish West Coast's battered stocks in the near future. The Eagles have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. Jeremy McGovern's career could be over due to concussion, Waterman will undergo season-ending surgery this week while Jamie Cripps (knee) and Matt Owies (calf) will be sidelined for at least three more weeks. Star midfielder Elliot Yeo, who is yet to play this season due to a serious ankle injury that required surgery, is still 5-6 weeks away from resuming, while Dom Sheed suffered a season-ending knee injury during the summer. Newton loves surfing - a sport that comes with huge risks for professional athletes. GWS captain Toby Greene almost drowned last year while attempting to paddle out across a dangerous reef section in Bali, while Kangaroos defender Griffin Logue and former Demons skipper Nathan Jones suffered cut foots while surfing. But McQualter doesn't want his players to live in a bubble and is encouraging Newton - or anyone else for that matter - to jump on a surfboard. "We encourage that, it's good," McQualter said. "I was speaking to Crippa yesterday, he told me he used to surf a lot when he was younger and it was the fittest he'd ever been. "So we might have to get a few more of our boys to start surfing." West Coast were interested in snaring Newton during last year's national draft, but they decided against it after the 18-year-old was struck down by a foot injury. McQualter is flagging a role up forward for Newton with a possible move into the midfield down the track. McCarthy, 24, is set to play across half-back with some stints in the midfield. "When you watch him play, you see his speed, he's a beautiful kick, and he also has some really good hands as well," McQualter said of McCarthy. West Coast (1-10) are back in action on Sunday when they host Geelong.
West Australian
3 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Jake Waterman's injury set to force West Coast Eagles to make Oscar Allen forward move permanent
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has conceded a devastating season-ending shoulder injury to spearhead Jake Waterman could force co-captain Oscar Allen to return to attack permanently. Waterman's season ended on Tuesday when the Eagles decided to put the 27-year-old in for a full shoulder reconstruction after it dislocated in a collision in the club's loss to Adelaide on Sunday. It is a huge blow for first-year coach McQualter, with Waterman one of the in-form forwards of the AFL after kicking 70 goals in 28 games since the start of last season, earning a maiden All-Australian blazer in 2024. 'It's incredibly unfortunate to lose Jake for the rest of the year. He'll have surgery later this week or next week and miss the rest of the season. You never want to lose your leaders.,' McQualter said. ' He's doing well, we had a (training) session offsite (on Wednesday). He turned up, he's in good spirits. He's obviously disappointed to not be able to help the team on field but he'll be able to help us off-field no doubt. 'We're probably, in a way, a little bit fortunate we've got some guys in that position. Jack Williams, Archer Reid, Jobe Shanahan — guys that play that position at the moment. 'We'll just keep trying to choose the best guy available and who can help us the most.' Allen is set to be the focal point of the Eagles forward line in Waterman's absence, despite having spent time down back this year in a bid to rediscover his best form and help cover the loss of defender Jeremy McGovern. Allen kicked a career-high 53 goals in 23 games only a few seasons ago but struggled to start this year as his future as a restricted free agent was put under the spotlight. He spent two games in defence but returned to the forward line for the Eagles' drought-breaking win over St Kilda nearly a fortnight ago and has kicked four goals in his past two matches. McQualter said Waterman's injury potentially created a situation where Allen was the main man in attack. 'To preface it, we will still play Oscar where needed. The team will always override any individual,' he said. 'Without Jake's leadership down there, Oscar will probably be more needed at that end of the ground. 'The actual role Oscar plays on field, the way he operates in our team it won't change to how it played last week. Our expectations will be exactly the same.' Waterman's injury also opens up the chance for a young forward to earn a recall. Jack Williams is fresh off four goals for the Eagles' WAFL side in a loss to West Perth, while Archer Reid played the first nine games of this season and impressed many with his athleticism and maturity for a second-year key position player. 'All the guys played quite well, Archer Reid's been competing really well,' McQualter said. 'We've seem Jobe (Shanahan) not at the weekend, but prior to that have a good month of footy there (up forward).'
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Waterman injury set to force Allen to be full-time forward
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has conceded a devastating season-ending shoulder injury to spearhead Jake Waterman could force co-captain Oscar Allen to return to attack permanently. Waterman's season ended on Tuesday when the Eagles decided to put the 27-year-old in for a full shoulder reconstruction after it dislocated in a collision in the club's loss to Adelaide on Sunday. It is a huge blow for first-year coach McQualter, with Waterman one of the in-form forwards of the AFL after kicking 70 goals in 28 games since the start of last season, earning a maiden All-Australian blazer in 2024. 'It's incredibly unfortunate to lose Jake for the rest of the year. He'll have surgery later this week or next week and miss the rest of the season. You never want to lose your leaders.,' McQualter said. ' He's doing well, we had a (training) session offsite (on Wednesday). He turned up, he's in good spirits. He's obviously disappointed to not be able to help the team on field but he'll be able to help us off-field no doubt. 'We're probably, in a way, a little bit fortunate we've got some guys in that position. Jack Williams, Archer Reid, Jobe Shanahan — guys that play that position at the moment. 'We'll just keep trying to choose the best guy available and who can help us the most.' Waterman's season is over after a shoulder injury. Credit: James Elsby / AFL Photos Allen is set to be the focal point of the Eagles forward line in Waterman's absence, despite having spent time down back this year in a bid to rediscover his best form and help cover the loss of defender Jeremy McGovern. Allen kicked a career-high 53 goals in 23 games only a few seasons ago but struggled to start this year as his future as a restricted free agent was put under the spotlight. He spent two games in defence but returned to the forward line for the Eagles' drought-breaking win over St Kilda nearly a fortnight ago and has kicked four goals in his past two matches. McQualter said Waterman's injury potentially created a situation where Allen was the main man in attack. 'To preface it, we will still play Oscar where needed. The team will always override any individual,' he said. 'Without Jake's leadership down there, Oscar will probably be more needed at that end of the ground. 'The actual role Oscar plays on field, the way he operates in our team it won't change to how it played last week. Our expectations will be exactly the same.' Oscar Allen and Andrew McQualter. Credit: Andrew Ritchie / The West Australian Waterman's injury also opens up the chance for a young forward to earn a recall. Jack Williams is fresh off four goals for the Eagles' WAFL side in a loss to West Perth, while Archer Reid played the first nine games of this season and impressed many with his athleticism and maturity for a second-year key position player. 'All the guys played quite well, Archer Reid's been competing really well,' McQualter said. 'We've seem Jobe (Shanahan) not at the weekend, but prior to that have a good month of footy there (up forward).'
