McQualter Keeps West Coast Unchanged for Eagles Game Against GWS
West Coast made no late changes for its eagles game against GWS at Optus Stadium, sticking with the team named on Friday after resting Cooper Duff-Tytler this week. Andrew McQualter said the club is managing the young forward with longer-term plans in mind, even after his best game for the club last week.
McQualter Keeps the Same Side
The Eagles went into the match with Matt Flynn and Bailey Williams as the two rucks, while Liam Baker and Liam Duggan were expected to lead younger teammates Josh Lindsay and Willem Duursma. West Coast wanted a brighter start after losing to Melbourne last week in a quarter, and the unchanged line-up kept that plan intact.
McQualter put the focus squarely on Duff-Tytler’s workload. “We’ve got really long-term plans with ‘Coop’, It’s hard when he probably played his best game for us last week, but we just have to be really smart with the way we manage him,” he said during the week.
Waalitij Marawar At Optus Stadium
The club also marked Sir Doug Nicholls Round under the name Waalitij Marawar, adding another layer to a match that already carried pressure after West Coast had won two of their first three games in 2026 before sliding hard. The clean team sheet mattered because the group has been under the pump over the last month, and the club planned to rest a few players over the coming weeks.
That made the selection call on Duff-Tytler the clearest sign of how West Coast is balancing the short term with the longer view. With Jesse Hogan absent from GWS because of its undermanned defence, West Coast had a chance to build a better start and put itself in position to win at Optus Stadium.
Hogan Absence Shapes GWS
GWS arrived without Hogan, leaving its forward structure different from the one West Coast had been preparing for. That opened the door for the Eagles to lean on their senior voices and protect their younger players, with the same side named on Friday left intact through match day.
For a team that has already been through a dramatic slide, the clean selection call was the main development. West Coast kept faith with the group it named, rested Duff-Tytler, and headed into the game with no late surprises.
