MELBOURNE , AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 17: Jobe Shanahan of the Eagles looks dejected after a loss during the 2025 AFL Round 23 match between the Western Bulldogs and the West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium on August 17, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
West Coast Eagles head coach Andrew McQualter has emphasized the critical choice facing his young players following a devastating 94-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. The match ended with the Bulldogs triumphing 19.12 (126) to 4.8 (32), marking the Eagles’ 21st defeat of the season—a new low in the club’s history. This loss is part of a troubling trend, with the Eagles now recording 32 defeats by ten goals or more over their last 90 games since the beginning of the 2022 season.
In a post-match press conference, McQualter addressed concerns about the psychological impact of such heavy defeats on younger players. He cited the example of the Adelaide Crows, who have successfully transformed their fortunes after experiencing similar low points in previous seasons. “You look back at teams over a long period of time, and the Crows are a good example. A lot of players currently winning at the top of the ladder went through seasons like we’ve gone through,” he stated.
McQualter highlighted the importance of resilience amid adversity, stating, “There’s too many losses, and it becomes overwhelming, or you build resilience.” He emphasized the necessity for his players to either learn from these experiences or risk giving up. “That’s the choice we have,” he added.
The coach underlined the need for players who are committed to learning how to win. “They’re the types of players we need at our football club, and we need to lean into that,” he remarked. McQualter announced plans to focus on instilling a winning mentality in the upcoming pre-season program. “We’re going to build competition into everything and learn how to win again because that feeling has been lost at our football club,” he stated.
Sunday’s loss followed one of the Eagles’ better performances of the season, where they narrowly lost to the Crows by just nine points. According to McQualter, bridging the gap between the team’s best and worst performances remains a significant challenge. “The biggest punishment we had today was on the scoreboard. We couldn’t quite stop any of their scoring, and we clearly couldn’t score,” he explained.
Despite the defeat, McQualter noted that the team’s pressure rating was higher than in previous matches. “It was actually a decent number today, quite high. They were just too good at transitioning and punishing us,” he said. He acknowledged that the Bulldogs, being one of the best teams in the competition, taught the Eagles a valuable lesson.
As the Eagles look to rebuild and recover from this challenging season, McQualter’s message is clear: the path forward requires resilience, commitment, and a renewed focus on winning. The head coach concluded, “We know the problems we’ve got, and we know the work we have to do. It’s going to take some time, but we’re going to work.”
