Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
West Coast Eagles coach Andrew McQualter confirmed his squad will try to ruin the upcoming Collingwood Magpies vs West Coast Eagles Scott Pendlebury milestone match this Saturday. The legendary midfielder is set to break the all-time AFL games played record during the Sir Doug Nicholls Round fixture.
The Collingwood Magpies have organized major celebrations for the veteran champion at the MCG. However, the visiting side has no intention of simply playing along with the external fanfare.
The intense build up follows growing media debates around the event, similar to reports that the Scott Pendlebury record milestone overshadowed by commercial circus drama has divided fans.
Andrew McQualter made it clear that his focus is purely on securing a win. "My job is to win the game, so I’ll do whatever it takes. We’re acknowledging it’s an amazing achievement, but we’re not there to celebrate Scott and his day," McQualter said on The Agenda Setters.
"We’re there to win the game of football and do everything we can to improve," he added. Critics have accused Collingwood of managing Pendlebury's schedule to face an easier opponent, but McQualter remains unfazed.
Squad Rebuild and Future Plans
The West Coast Eagles will compete under the name Waalitj Marawar as part of the league round. The match gives a young list the perfect chance to perform under high pressure in front of a massive crowd.
"We’ve clearly been through a whole transformation of our list, particularly in the last two years and targeted the draft and got some great talent through the door," McQualter explained. "But we can’t go any younger from here on in, we’re as young as we can be, and now it’s about building this team up to become a premiership team."
To aid this development, the club is actively searching for established talent such as out-of-contract Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale. Sydney Swans midfielder Chad Warner also remains a long-term option for the rebuilding team.
"We‘re absolutely in the market for anyone who we think can make our team better, so free agents, yes, draft, yes, trade, yes," McQualter concluded. Football fans can view official team stats and match details on the official AFL website.
