Eagles' losing streak caps a season of unmet expectations
West Coast ended the 2026 season with an 11-game losing streak and a 4-19 record after a 62-point defeat to Hawthorn at Optus Stadium on Sunday. The 16.11 (107) to 6.9 (45) loss left the Eagles in 16th place, an improvement on last year's one-win wooden spoon campaign but a disappointment after they started the year with two wins from their first three games.
Hawthorn needed a 4.5 per cent percentage boost to overtake Brisbane into third place but fell 1.6 per cent short despite the convincing win. The Hawks will now return to Perth in less than a fortnight for a qualifying final against Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
McQualter's long-term vision
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter was adamant the club already has the core of its next premiership side, despite the late-season slide. "We've deliberately gone backwards to go forward with how we've done this build," he said after the loss. "We didn't have anywhere near the list of what a premiership team list looks like. So we had to go and do research on that, how to do it."
McQualter pointed to the emergence of a host of young players, including Harley Reid and Reuben Ginbey, who he described as already A-grade stars, and a group including Cooper Duff-Tytler, Willem Duursma, Josh Lindsay, Jobe Shanahan, Bo Allan, Elijah Hewett and Archer Reid. "We've been able to bring in a huge amount of the right types and level of player," he said. "And now we've got to get to work and develop and help these guys become what we expect them to become."
Last off-season the Eagles added Brandon Starcevich as a free agent and Tylar Young via trade, along with three first-round draft picks including No.1 selection Willem Duursma. McQualter said the club would be active again in the trade and free agency period. "Absolutely. I expect we'll be (active). We're desperate to get better, and we'll do whatever it takes and work whatever angle we can to try to help our club and our list improve," he said.
Skill gaps and off-season work
McQualter conceded the team's lack of bigger progress stemmed from fundamental skill deficiencies and unforced errors. "I just spoke to the group then about that, that we get to make choices for the next 14 weeks before we begin pre-season again about how much we want to get better and improve," he said. "I think we've become a pretty good running team this year. The next step is to get our fundamentals better and our system better."
West Coast fielded the 16th youngest and least experienced team of round 24, ahead of only Essendon and Port Adelaide, and ranked poorly in several key metrics, including 18th for moving the ball from defensive 50 to forward 50 and 18th for handball efficiency. The club increased pre-season work on fundamental skills under head of development Jamie Maddocks, and McQualter said players could carry a football with them through the off-season.
Match details and individual performances
Hawthorn's Jack Gunston kicked five goals in his 300th game, while Nick Watson contributed three goals and took a mark of the year contender despite tight checking from Brandon Starcevich. Watson was managed out of the final term after playing limited minutes in the third quarter.
Harley Reid finished with 21 disposals, three clearances and a goal, but he could face scrutiny from the match review officer for a dangerous tackle on Jai Newcombe. McQualter noted Newcombe got up and kicked a goal after the incident and played out the game. Hawthorn dominated centre clearances 14-8, with Will Day (23 disposals, two goals, six clearances) and Connor Macdonald (23 and four) among the standout contributors.
Milan Murdock was West Coast's only multiple goalkicker with three goals, while Tim Kelly (28 disposals, four clearances) and Elliot Yeo (25 and six) worked hard but could not prevent the defeat. West Coast conceded the first two goals before registering a disposal, and the quarter-by-quarter margins stretched from 29 points at the first break to 62 at the final siren.
Off-season decisions ahead
With 13 players out of contract, McQualter faces difficult list decisions. The club has tabled a contract offer to Marcus Herbert, while ruckman Matt Flynn is expected to be retained and veteran Tom Cole is set to play on, according to reports. The 11-game losing streak is the equal third biggest in club history.
McQualter acknowledged the pain of the finish. "This period, it hurts now, and not being able to give our fans the satisfaction of singing the song, it hurts," he said. "But we've got a bigger picture in mind and we have to continue to work really hard. We're trying to build a team that wins premierships."