Senior coach Andrew McQualter says West Coast received another clear reminder of the standards required to compete with the AFL’s strongest sides after a 46‑point loss to a mature and well‑drilled Geelong team at Gather Round on Sunday.

The Eagles were competitive for much of the opening half at Norwood Oval, but McQualter said the contest turned decisively as the Cats asserted themselves around the ball and punished West Coast’s inability to sustain the fight across four quarters.

“I thought we played our first quarter pretty well,” McQualter said.

“We had a good amount of entries, we were strong enough in the contest and we were able to score a little bit, which has been our main challenge.”

The Geelong midfield’s running power and physical presence proved decisive, with McQualter pointing to the Cats as a clear benchmark for a young Eagles side still building its physical profile.

“They’ve got exceptional runners,” McQualter said.

“Bailey Smith today was quite extraordinary, and as a team they run really well. They're strong, and we're going to keep building our guys up to get to that level.”

West Coast attempted several tactical adjustments as the game wore on, including different looks at Smith, but McQualter acknowledged the Cats’ system and cohesion made them difficult to contain.

“With the Cats, you try to take away one thing, and they hurt you in another way,” McQualter said.

“They’re incredibly well coached and well drilled, and unfortunately they were too good for us today.”

In an otherwise challenging afternoon, the return of ruckman Bailey Williams was positive, showing signs of impact after working back from a restricted pre‑season following a groin injury.

“I thought Bailey had some impact on the game for sure,” McQualter said.

“He looked strong in the contest and won the ball well. He’ll take a bit of time to build to full fitness, but it was a good start for him.”

McQualter also highlighted promising signs from emerging players, including No. 1 draft pick Willem Duursma and second-year Eagle Jobe Shanahan, who kicked four goals.

“Willem’s got some incredible traits and he’s had a great start to his AFL career,” McQualter said.

“He provides a spark for us, his aerial game is strong and he works hard. He’s going to have ups and downs this year, but that’s part of the journey.”

Shanahan’s performance in front of goal was his most productive at AFL level, with McQualter pleased to see the mobile forward continuing to grow.

“It’s Jobe’s biggest return on the scoreboard so far, which is a great result for him personally,” McQualter said.

“Geelong protect well for each other, and they are a strong contestant marking team, Jobe will learn a lot from that.”

While the result was disappointing, McQualter said the Eagles remained clear on the path they are taking as they continue to build consistency.

“We still have a long way to go, there are still periods of the game that hurt us on the scoreboard far too significantly,” McQualter said.

“We understand the journey we’re on; it’s a clear path and there has been some improvement, but there is still a lot of work to do.”