West Coast coach Andrew McQualter says he is sick of losing to former club Richmond after three straight losses, with the Eagles promising a "fierce contest" when they travel to the MCG on Sunday and look to frank their improved form with a win. 

A long-time assistant at the Tigers through their most recent premiership era, McQualter took the reins as caretaker coach in 2023 for a 7-6 record but was overlooked as the permanent replacement for Damien Hardwick. 

The Eagles have gone 0-3 against the Tigers since his appointment at West Coast ahead of the 2025 season, losing their MCG clash last season by two points, with McQualter hoping that run comes to an end this week.

"I'm sick of losing to them, for sure. I am, it's three times in a row. I want to beat them," McQualter said on Thursday. 

"We expect the best of them every time when we play them, and the Tigers have got up for every time we've played them and been very competitive. 

"When you're at the same ladder position as teams, you often get up for games … we expect a fierce contest on Sunday and that's what we're going to bring as well."

West Coast's 11-point loss to Richmond earlier this season came as the Tigers managed a 17-man injury list, with the Eagles holding a late lead at Optus Stadium before conceding a critical 50m penalty under the stand rule and two late goals.  

They bring improved form into the return clash, however, after challenging Brisbane, the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide over a three-week stretch before a disappointing second half against Fremantle in last Friday night's Western Derby. 

Contributing to their improved form, McQualter said the Eagles had made recent changes to their warm-up routine and training schedule to ensure they jump into games better, building quarter-time leads against Fremantle and Brisbane in the past fortnight.  

"We have put a significant focus on [our starts] and we changed the warm-up three weeks ago," he said. 

"Our training is adjusted as well and we go straight into match play now in our training to make the feel the same as game day. 

"So all those little things, the last three weeks we were in the game at quarter-time and that's what we need to be every time."

McQualter and the Eagles this week held conversations with the AFL regarding young star Harley Reid and the way he is umpired, with the club happy with how those discussions were conducted. 

He highlighted Reid's form this season, which has seen him break the club record for clearances over a five-week stretch (49), recording a career-high 12 against Fremantle and lifting his season average from 3.89 last year to 6.58 in 2026. 

"We had the right conversation with the right people," McQualter said of the club's approach to the AFL.  

"We'll keep the contents of that conversation private … but we spoke to them about what we thought our challenges were. 

"It was a respectful conversation, a two-way conversation, and we're rapt that Harley's playing really good football at the moment. 

"The form he is in for the last six weeks, he's almost leading the competition for clearances and centre clearances. 

"He's been really strong, and we'll look to keep supporting him to continue his good form."

The Eagles will consider recalling young tall Cooper Duff-Tytler this week after a standout performance in the WAFL, while senior midfielder Jack Graham will return after being managed with a hamstring issue. 

Despite a long list of players fighting for a contract extension in 2027, McQualter said the Eagles' selection philosophy and commitment to picking their best team would not change in the final four games of the season. 

"They (list decisions) are definitely not already made. There's definitely guys who are still up in the air, (but) that's what happens every year at every club," he said. 

"It's not just going to be judged on the last four games. That would be unfair, but you certainly try and get an understanding of what we think people's ceilings are and where they can get to as players. 

"We've got 51 players on our list, and three more than when we started the season due to injuries, so we're going to have to cut a few, which is what happens. 

"The beauty of us this year is it's actually much harder than it's been in the past [deciding] who those players will be. That's a good sign and there's going to be some unlucky players at the end of our season who miss out on a contract."