Andrew McQualter during West Coast’s loss to Fremantle in round 20, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

WEST Coast coach Andrew McQualter says the off-field strength of a club and its historical success should be irrelevant when it comes to priority picks, with the Eagles set to apply for support based on their on-field struggles for the past four seasons.

Speaking to media on Thursday, the coach also confirmed young star Harley Reid had returned home to Tongala in country Victoria after a season-ending ankle syndesmosis injury but would return next week to continue his rehabilitation.

The Eagles will lodge an application for AFL assistance having won a single game this season and just 11 across their past four campaigns, with the club almost certain to collect a second wooden spoon in three years. 

Their struggles are likely to eclipse the 12 wins North Melbourne had over a four-year period between 2020-2023, which resulted in the club receiving draft assistance over two years.

McQualter said the Eagles were in a rush to get better, and equalisation measures meant the club’s historical success and off-field financial strength made no difference to achieving their on-field goals.

“It’s really clear that there’s a soft cap, salary cap, TPP (total player payments) … it’s irrelevant, the position of the club,” McQualter said on Thursday.

“We’re just looking at it from the performances of the last four years and the history of what priority picks are given for. We think we qualify.

“We’re aligned that we’re in a position where we think we can apply for it, and then the AFL will look at it and they decide.

“We’re in a rush to get better and if that’s a way that we can get better, we’re willing to look and apply for it.”

The Eagles are yet to formally lodge an application but remain in discussions about how they will approach a request for assistance, with any package needing to be ticked off at AFL Commission level.

North Melbourne’s assistance package at the end of 2023 included three end-of-first round selections across the 2023 and 2024 drafts, as well as extra rookie list spots.

They were also granted assistance at the end of 2022, receiving a second-round pick and third-round pick for 2023 that needed to be traded for at least one player.

McQualter said the Eagles would welcome any assistance, including the option to trade priority picks for senior players.

Granting unrestricted access to Academy players is another form of assistance that has previously been granted to Gold Coast, with several 2025 Telstra AFL Draft prospects coming through the Eagles Next Generation Academy this year.

Meanwhile, McQualter confirmed Reid had returned home for the initial stages of his recovery from the ankle injury sustained in the loss to Fremantle on Saturday.

The 20-year-old is in a moon boot, with McQualter saying it was normal for players to head home if there was an opportunity after injuries.

“We do that with all of our players. Harley’s not going to play again this season, and this week of rehab is not going to be much,” McQualter said. 

“He’s in a moon boot still, so when you get an opportunity to send players back to their home states, we always support that.

“‘Harls’ is in that position. Bo Allan went back to his home in Mandurah when he hurt his ankle last week, so that’s common practice for us and we support it.

“It won’t be for the rest of the season, so he’ll come back next week and start his rehab process.”

Winger Campbell Chesser will play his first game this season when the Eagles travel to take on Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, with the athletic runner earning his chance after a building a platform in the WAFL.

McQualter said draftee Tom Gross was also a chance to return, while the club will consider using mid-season recruit Tom McCarthy in the midfield after an excellent start to his career across half-back.

“We tried it for a quarter about a month ago … so we’re certainly open to it,” the coach said. 

“The challenge with Tom is he’s been so good for us down back, so it’s a bit like what we do with Liam Baker – we rob Peter to pay Paul every week with ‘Bakes’.

“We need him in our backline, midfield and forward line, and we’ve got to choose where we think we can best resource him each week, and Tom’s a little bit the same as that.

“It (midfield) is a potential for us.”