West Coast senior coach Andrew McQualter is keen on the possibility of a reunion with former coaching partner Simon Goodwin, opening the door for the recently sacked coach to make a move west for 2026 and beyond.
McQualter has a history working with Goodwin, joining the Demons as an assistant coach for the 2024 AFL season before landing West Coast's senior coach position for the 2025 season.
McQualter admitted he was open to the idea of Goodwin joining his coaching panel, especially considering the Eagles confirmed long-standing assistant coach Luke Webster would depart at the end of the 2025 season.
"I don't know if 'Goody' will move over here, but he's someone that's had a big influence on my career, so if he's willing to help, I'd ask the question," McQualter said.
McQualter praised Goodwin and his coaching philosophies when asked about his former colleague on Friday, and was confident he'd be back in the industry in no time.
"I spoke to 'Goody' via text as it happened... I really rate him, he was a really influential person on my career," McQualter said.
"I spent a year with him last year, and he helped me a lot to see the game differently, think about it differently. He's a terrific coach, great person, and I've got no doubt he'll be senior coach of a football team again.
"He'll be back in the business before we know it.
"His personable personality makes him such a good coach. He is loved by his players, he cares for people, he's loyal and is a really hard worker. I thought he was a great coach."
McQualter also provided an update on the status of injured key defender Harry Edwards, who has been dealing with foot soreness.
"We're hopeful he'll play the last two games," McQualter said.
"He just wasn't quite able to get himself up for training this week, so it's frustrating for him. He's had a bit of a challenging month.
"He's been brave and trying to push through. He's obviously important to us, so we just made the decision he's not going to push through this week, but we're hopeful he can play the last two games."
The Eagles will miss Edwards' strong defensive presence this weekend, leading West Coast with 6.4 spoils per game this season, as they take on the ladder-leading Adelaide Crows at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
