Each year AFL coaches are either put under scrutiny or praised for what they have done with the club's list and where their side has finished at the end of the year.
Whether it's a club going through a rebuild, a premiership contender, or a side failing to fulfil expectations, here is every coach ranked as safe, pressure-building, or under the pump heading into the 2027 season.
Andrew McQualter (West Coast)
Pressure building
McQualter and the Eagles are an interesting one to give a verdict for. He has been the Eagles' head coach since 2025, and much like Richmond, is going through a full-blown rebuild.
Only the one win for them last season provided one positive in the fact that they got the first pick in the draft, taking Willem Duursma, but they have improved so far this season with four wins.
They have built their rebuild around younger players, and McQualter has highlighted the team's continued growth of its young players.
"It's a little bit hard to see a huge amount of light because we're not winning games and believe me, I'm the worst at this," McQualter said.
But if you just lift your eyes a little bit, there's a fair bit to like about this team, what they're doing, the young players in the team and the growth."
He is contracted until the end of next season, and hopefully the Eagles can enjoy some more success than what they are getting now, as questions will be asked about McQualter if nothing changes.
