McQualter article - The Age

[fingers]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews ... 24325.html


WHEN St Kilda dumped Andrew McQualter at the end of 2007, he had a year left on his contract. But had he not had that one year to run, he is not sure whether the Saints would have moved him to their rookie list after cutting him from the senior squad, or simply wiped their hands of him.

"It's a good question," conceded the midfielder in the rooms last night, having played a subtle, yet influential part, in St Kilda's record-breaking 11th-straight win for the season. "Who knows, to be honest? Maybe they would have just let me go. They probably would have, but there's no point in looking back now."

Before he was delisted, McQualter had played 23 games in three seasons, as a first-round draft pick who had arrived at St Kilda a well credentialled, highly rated onballer, and one of Brendon Goddard's best mates. He thought he was working hard enough to play in a lot more matches.

Yesterday was McQualter's 23rd match since winning his way back from the rookie list, having been forced to wonder whether he'd ever get the chance to play again. On Tuesday, he turns 23. If only he had found the ball twice more in the final quarter yesterday, and added to his 21 disposals.

That said, those 21 possessions were very handy ones. McQualter had accumulated 11 of them by half-time, when his team trailed North Melbourne by 13 points. He had forced himself into the game with more urgency than several of his teammates, and only Jason Gram, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Goddard, his former Caulfield Grammar schoolmate, saw more of the ball.

McQualter does a lot of work in close, but seems to play more creatively these days and certainly with more poise, something that has perhaps come with his increasing sense of belonging in the Saints side. Yesterday he laid seven tackles, only one less than Hayes. But he also used his skills and set up four scoring shots, more than any other player on the ground.

He did it twice in the third quarter, when the match made its big shift. With 28 minutes gone, McQualter placed a pass on Justin Koschitzke's chest, and Kosi's third goal grabbed the lead for St Kilda. Not long after, scooping up the ball just outside the 50-metre line, he spotted Clint Jones moving into space directly in front of the goals, and shot a sideways pass to him. Jones took a few steps, kicked, extended the lead to seven points and the Saints were away.

McQualter was pleased his side had hung in there early when North kicked five first-term goals, and thought the Saints had persevered well. "We knew they'd come out hard and we knew we had to withstand it, stick to our structures and not panic," he said. "We know you can't win a game in one quarter and we feel if we can produce the same effort over four quarters, we'll eventually get the result we're after. It all worked out well in the end."

Ross Lyon cut McQualter at the end of his first season as coach, and said last night that, after making a good impression last year, had re-established himself simply by realising that he had to work much harder.

"He played some good go-with roles last year," said Lyon of McQualter, who was promoted for round 12 and held his place all year, playing in finals and playing more games in a season than he had before.

"He's fought his way off the rookie list, we flicked him, and he's learned how to work really hard and be disciplined and be a fanatical preparer and competitor," Lyon said. "It's standing him in good stead. While he does that, he'll keep his place in the team. That's good for him and good for us."

McQualter understood after being delisted that he actually wasn't doing the things he thought he had been doing. "Basically, it all came down to work rate," he said. "I thought I was working hard, but I wasn't.

"I had to realise that, and I did. Once I came back, I really put my head down and started to work a lot harder. It was in training, in games. It was a whole lifestyle thing, everything had to change. On and off the field, it all went in together, and I was lucky they kept me around."

McQualter aims to improve all parts of his game, but knows he'll only get the time to make those adjustments if he keeps his mind focused on doing the things that have taken him this far. "My confidence is up, and I'm glad about that. Obviously when you play more senior footy you feel like you're a bigger part of it and you feel like you belong, but I know I can't stop at that," he said.

"I've got to just concentrate on my role in the team and make sure I'm doing that, never think ahead of that. I'm never going to be the best player in the team, I'm not going to be the flashiest, but I know a lot more about what I need to do to stay in the side."

[Spinner]

Love your work Mini....

Does anyone else notice that every one of McQualter's possession are important/contested.....Doesn't have that receiver component yet!

[plugger66]

Love your work Mini....

Does anyone else notice that every one of McQualter's possession are important/contested.....Doesn't have that receiver component yet!

Actually that is what he needs to do to go to the next level. He needs to learn to get some easier kicks but yes he has been great this year.

[claystreet]

I think hes been great and yesterday again he stepped up

[supersaints]

another whipping boy on the improve, he has got talent but it has taken longer than expected to blossom...... he will get better

[Solar]

anyone feel comfortable when mini has the ball? His lovely little 30 metres spot kicks to space remind me of a former great number 35. Agree that he needs to learn to get more easy ball but unless he moves into the middle or wing I can't see that happening. Is just pure effectiveness.

One of the great stories of this side along with zac