West Coast premiership hero Dom Sheed has backed first-year coach Andrew McQualter sending the club’s veterans to the WAFL to gain form at times in 2025.

McQualter’s first season has not gained the on-field success he would have hoped for, with just one win from 14 matches, but the former Richmond assistant has made steady progress with finding a best 22 and a game style to build around.

Part of the process included sending established veterans such as Tim Kelly and Tom Cole back to the WAFL when he wasn’t happy with their performances.

And Sheed, who is on the long-term injury list after rupturing his ACL in preseason, said the willingness to show established players they couldn’t get too comfortable “energised” the playing group.

“I think it’s good,” he told SEN.

“New coach, that’s expected. Come in and find your best 22. The way ‘Mini’ (McQualter) thinks is different to Simmo (former coach Adam Simpson) and the way he coaches.

“I think it energises people to want to be better and don’t ever be comfortable in your role. I think the playing group has bought into it.

“He’s very process-driven in terms of reviewing the same things and going after exactly your role and what that is. If you play it, you’ll play; if you don’t, you’ll be out, and I’ve really loved that about him.

“TK as a senior player, we know how good he is, he just needed to go back and play some footy at WAFL level, and he took it in his stride, found himself back in the team and embraced a new role on the half-forward line.

“Tom Cole doing the same, he just needed to get some games under his belt and he’s been playing some really good footy.”

Sheed also said he could see similarities between how Simpson operated when he took over the Eagles in 2014 and what McQualter was doing with the young, rebuilding list.

“I haven’t actually played under Mini yet, but I know that Mini being a first-time coach, he’s very much a relationship man,” he said.

“He’s consistent, he’s a good bloke. Simmo was exactly the same, but he just got to he’d been there for 10 years, and there was probably a time when we’ve got a young group that needs to grow with a new head coach, just like Simmo did in 2014.

“We had quite a young side then; Simmo ended up growing with and winning a flag with. Hopefully, Mini can do the same, and I see a lot of similarities in the early days at the club.”

The young Eagles have shown improvement over the last eight weeks, with young star Tyrell Dewar earning a Rising Star nomination for his breakout performance against Carlton, while Elijah Hewett and Harley Reid are emerging as future leaders in the engine room.

Not to mention 24-year-old debutant Tom McCarthy, who had an Eagles’ record 31 disposals on debut, going at 93 per cent efficiency.

Sheed said he felt the club had enough talent on the list to start rising up the ladder in coming seasons.

“They’re different, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Compared to when I first came into where they are now, it’s just a different era of players and young men, so it’s good. They do keep me young, which is nice, but they are certainly different operators.

“It’s a real credit to Hewy (Hewett) how he’s bounced back. He was my rehab buddy for a long time; I’m running out of rehab buddies, actually, but I’m really proud of Hewy and how he handled his rehab and to get a bit of reward for it.

“He’s looked really powerful and fast, and you’d hate to play on him. He’s grown into a nice player. Same as Harley. He had another strong game on the weekend.”