West Coast senior coach Andrew McQualter says his side will take important lessons and a sense of resilience from their opening hit‑out of the 2026 season, after the Eagles fell to Gold Coast by 59-points at People First Stadium on Sunday.

McQualter was clear post‑match that the first portion of the game set the tone, with the Suns capitalising on early momentum and making the most of their opportunities.

“Quite simply the first 45 minutes we weren’t able to get any of it on our terms,” McQualter said.

“Unfortunately we were blown out of the park by things we knew and planned for and just didn’t execute well enough in the first 40 minutes, which was a shame.”

Gold Coast’s fast start created a mountain for the Eagles to climb, but McQualter was encouraged by the way his group adjusted after quarter-time and refused to allow the margin to balloon further.

“To see the scoreboard tick over like it did early was disappointing,” McQualter said.

“But I think you walk away with a real piece of resilience, that although the game was up against us and it could have gotten really ugly, we were up for the fight.

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Full post-match, R1: Eagles

Watch West Coast’s press conference after round one’s match against Gold Coast

“The guys were able to work their way through it and there were a lot of things out of that game that we’ll be able to use as good evidence moving forward.”

Despite the result, there were bright spots for West Coast, particularly from the club’s new faces. Four Eagles pulled on the blue and gold for the first time – Willem Duursma, Milan Murdock, Cooper Duff-Tytler and Josh Lindsay. McQualter said the debutants showed glimpses of what they will bring long term.

“We all saw signs of what they are going to be capable of as AFL players,” McQualter said.

“We moved Willem Duursma a few times from wing to midfield, you saw Josh Lindsay’s class in competing, and we saw Cooper Duff‑Tytler in the ruck and up forward at different times.

“So there is some excitement there for fans.”

With round one now behind them, the Eagles will shift their focus to extracting the positives and sharpening their approach ahead of the game against North Melbourne on Sunday at Optus Stadium.

“There’s a lot of things we’ll take out of that game we’ll be able to use as good evidence going forward.”