West Coast are now targeting a highly experienced assistant coach to support Andrew McQualter just days after he was officially announced as the new leader.

The West Australian understands it is a top priority for the Eagles to have a strong team around the 38-year-old, who is in his first ever full-time head coach gig.

Brisbane general manager of football Danny Daly was last month reportedly being head hunted by the Eagles for a role as football director and head of coaching, however it is understood he is set to the stay at the Lions who fresh off a premiership.

McQualter’s appointment on Monday is set to kickstart a flow on of decisions at the Eagles football department as they look to begin their new era including their coaching group going forward.

Premiership captain Shannon Hurn has returned to the club as a development coach in charge of game fundamentals having retired at the end of 2023.

Dual West Coast premiership player and former Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna has reportedly been sounded out by his former club to return in some capacity.

McKenna hasn’t worked in the AFL since being an assistant at Essendon in 2017, but was the Suns inaugural coach taking the to 10 wins in his final year at the helm of 2014.

Former South Fremantle premiership coach Todd Curley is understood to be of interest to both the Eagles and Fremantle for a coaching role after a decade at the helm of the Bulldogs.

Curley was previously an assistant coach at the Dockers from late 2008 until the eve of the 2012 season.

The Eagles have already lost forwards coach and former Essendon coach Matthew Knights who decided to return to Victoria after three years at the club, while development coach Tom Morrison is also believed to have departed.

It is unclear what will happen around the rest of the coaching department though, with plenty of intrigue around midfielder coach Jarrad Schofield.

Schofield took over as caretaker coach for the final seven games of the year after the Eagles parted ways with Adam Simpson but missed out on the top job despite winning two games and several strong performances.

Eagles chief executive Don Pyke addressed the Schofield situation during a press conference on Monday.

“Obviously he was disappointed, which I understand and I respect,” Pyke said.

“I think the conversation now is between Jarrad and Andrew in terms of the role that we think he can play going forward and they’ll have that conversation.”

McQualter said he would speak to Schofield to get an idea of what he wanted to do in the future.

“I was in touch with him yesterday and I will be looking to meet up with him and see what he wants to do,” he said on ABC radio on Tuesday.

“He’s clearly a terrific coach and got some great relationships at the club and we’ll discuss that and see where that lands.”

Luke Webster was the defensive coach this year, while former skipper Luke Shuey was in charge of the stoppages in his first season post-retirement and has a close relationship with No.1 pick Harley Reid.

McQualter was strong in his stance that he needed a good team around him to help improve the Eagles.

“We need a great coaching group. This job can’t be done well by one person,” he said.

“I’m really open to a coaching group that is the best candidates we can get, the best people we can get and we’ll work through that over the next period of time.”