Brandon Starcevich will make his West Coast club debut on Saturday night, and Josh Lindsay is the player squeezed out of West Coast’s backline for the round 13 meeting with Port Adelaide.
The move gives the Eagles another experienced defender as they head into the WA Freeze match, with Starcevich set for his first AFL game in blue and gold after two WAFL runs back from calf injuries. It is the kind of selection that changes the shape of a team in one line: a two-time premiership Lion comes in, and a Rising Star nominee from this season goes out.
Lindsay had played 11 games since his debut in round one and was the Rising Star nominee in round 10, so his omission is not a small one. McQualter said he was a bit flat for the youngster going out of the side, but backed the call because of the real competition for spots. He said Lindsay would be an incredible player for the club for a long time and that the pressure for places was healthy because it helps the whole list develop.
Starcevich’s return matters because West Coast are trying to balance a developing list with the need to pick the best team each week. McQualter said the defender will be available to play close to his normal full game time after his two WAFL appearances, and praised what he brings beyond simple experience. He described him as already a leader at the club, someone quiet away from the ball but loud and demanding once he steps on to the oval, with the balance and temperament to handle a big occasion.
That is part of why West Coast want him in now. Starcevich stiffens the backline and gives the Eagles both tall and small defensive cover, while also bringing the sort of composure McQualter believes can influence the group straight away. The coach also said you do not get the full picture of Port Adelaide just by looking at the ladder, a warning that fits a match that will test a reshaped defence as much as it will reward it.
West Coast and Port Adelaide already produced a thriller in round three, when the Eagles won by two points at Adelaide Oval, and Saturday night offers a different kind of check on where the side is heading. For Lindsay, the setback is immediate. For Starcevich, the next step is simpler: a first outing as a West Coast player, with the backline asking him to look every bit the finished piece.
