Andrew McQualter: Timeline of new West Coast Eagles coach’s football journey across two decades in AFL system

2004: McQualter is taken by St Kilda with pick 17 in the 2004 AFL Draft, with Grant Thomas his first coach. 2005: The then 18-year-old makes his AFL debut against the Eagles in Perth, one of seven games in his debut campaign. 2007: After mustering 16 appearances across the 2006 and 2007 seasons under new Saints coach Ross Lyon, McQualter is delisted despite having another year to run on his contract. He gets redrafted onto the club’s rookie list. 2009: McQualter rises to become one of Lyon’s favourites, playing all but one match for the season which culminated in a 12-point loss to Geelong. 2011: After featuring in the grand final for a second straight year in 2010, resulting in the famous replay and Saints loss, McQualter manages just five more games in red, white and black before again being delisted. 2012: McQualter shifts to Gold Coast for his final season at the top level, managing five appearances under Guy McKenna and forming part of the club’s leadership group. 2014: McQualter begins his coaching journey by joining Richmond’s staff under Damien Hardwick. 2017: Having assumed the role of midfield coach, McQualter helps oversee the likes of Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin as the Tigers storm to a breakthrough premiership. 2021: After playing an integral role in two more Richmond flags in 2019 and 2020, McQualter climbs onto the shortlist for Carlton’s vacant head coaching role before losing out to Michael Voss. 2023: McQualter assumes command of the Tigers midway through the season amid Hardwick’s shock exit, with a caretaker record of seven wins from 13 games. 2024: Having missed out on the permanent Richmond role, ultimately given to Adem Yze, McQualter switches to Melbourne to take on an assistant’s role under Simon Goodwin.