West Coast will explore more ways to get Elliot Yeo back to his best after the star veteran was held to just seven disposals in Friday night’s 25-point loss to Adelaide in Perth.
Yeo missed all of last year through injury, and entered Friday’s match averaging just 16.6 disposals and 3.4 clearances per game this season.
The 32-year-old attended 21 centre ball-ups against the Crows, but was generally used in attack aside from that.
The tactic backfired, with Yeo held to just two disposals in the first half, and finishing the match with only 40m gained and no score to his name.
Yeo was crucial in Harley Reid’s development two years ago as a big-bodied midfielder, and McQualter will explore ways to get the 226-game veteran more involved in games.
“Yeo has been a very good player for a long period of time,” McQualter said after the 15.9 (99) to 11.8 (74) loss.
“He had a down night tonight, but he’s a competitive person, we’ll find a way to get him to bounce back and recapture his best form.”
When asked why he didn’t give Yeo longer stints in the midfield instead of staying in attack, McQualter replied: ‘It’s not too dissimilar to how he’s played for most of the year, to be fair.
“But we didn’t get as much territory in this game as we have.
“Our entries up to three quarter time was not enough … so we just need to keep finding the best way to maximise Yeo and his strengths.”
West Coast (4-12) have lost four games in a row, with their poor starts becoming a worrying trend.
The Eagles have lost 13 of their 16 opening quarters this year, and they trailed Adelaide by 43 points early in the second quarter after conceding eight of the first nine goals of the match.
“It’s been a problem for sure, and we need to figure it out quickly, because there’s not an easy answer,” McQualter said.
“There’s always been different reasons as to why, but ultimately we need to be in the game more at quarter time.
“We’ve proven to be a pretty strong running team now, and our ability to finish games is strong, which is an improvement.
“But too often it’s been from behind the eight ball.”
The Eagles will be aiming to bounce back when they take on the Bulldogs in Melbourne next week.