CAITLIN BASSETT: New West Coast AFL coach Andrew McQualter should talk to Eagles AFLW coach Daisy Pearce

At long last West Coast have unveiled Andrew McQualter as the man who will take charge of the Eagles rebuild and reinstate the club’s powerhouse status.

With just 10 wins across the last three seasons, the transformation is no easy task and while many coaches baulked at the challenge, McQualter is clearly excited about the opportunity.

It was a similar situation Daisy Pearce faced when she arrived in the west six months ago for her first senior coaching role with the club’s women’s team.

McQualter is in Perth this week for a whirlwind trip and if I was him the first person I would want to sit down with is Pearce.

The impact she has had in such a short time at the Eagles has been nothing short of spectacular and with McQualter pushing for rapid improvement he would be smart to pick Daisy’s brain to see what can be implemented in his program.

Pearce too was undaunted by previous results and embraced the opportunity to challenge a team that had never felt success.

In just six games, West Coast have smashed their previous club record of most wins in a season, won back-to-back games for the first time and set a new highest score of 64.

With a focus on building relationships, Pearce has instilled a sense of belief and confidence in her young side and recruited experienced players to lead them on the field.

As a former player and premiership winning captain she has earnt the respect of the players who have bought into her new game plan and are willing to take risks.

McQualters will be looking to create something similar in his first year at the helm and will bring his own style and game plan to the group.

With a core of young players like Harley Reid, Reuben Ginbey and Brady Hough and experienced heads in Jeremy McGovern and Elliot Yeo the Eagles have a nice balance of youth and experience to build success around.

Fresh ideas and energy from a new coach and staff will be refreshing for players who have been at the club doing the same program for years and have found themselves stuck in a rut.

McQualter’s playing and coaching career across multiple clubs will have armed him with the skills needed to manage different personalities and as an assistant coach for Richmond’s three premierships he clearly knows how to get the best out of players.

Connection will be key and Pearce has been developing a blue print that McQualter would be keen run an eye over as he sets up his program over the coming months.

Don Pyke and the West Coast board will have been watching the turn around in the womens team and will be hoping their new mens coach will be able to do something similar.

West Coast really have no where else to go but up and Pearce has proved that belief can take a team a long way.