Andrew McQualter

#32 - Andrew McQualter - St Kilda FC
Personal information
Birth	9 June 1986 (1986-06-09) (age 23)
Recruited from	Traralgon / Gippsland Power
Height and weight	179cm / 74kg
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 8, 14 May 2005, St Kilda vs. West Coast Eagles, at Subiaco Oval, Perth
Team(s)	St Kilda Football Club 2005 - 59 games, 29 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 2009 season
Career highlights
* St Kilda Minor Premiership Side 2009

Andrew McQualter (born 9 June 1986) is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

[edit] Early life

McQualter was raised in Traralgon, Victoria, and attended Gippsland Grammar School and later Caulfield Grammar School as a boarder along with future St Kilda teammate Brendon Goddard. McQualter and Goddard captained the school's First XVIII football team and played in the First XI cricket side.

McQualter captained the Victorian Country Under-16 and Under-18 teams at the National Football Championships. He was injured for the 2004 National Carnival, meaning many AFL scouts didn't see him play during his final year of junior football.^{[citation needed]} Nevertheless, he was selected by St Kilda 17th overall in the first round of the 2004 AFL Draft.

[edit] AFL career

McQualter at training prior to the 2009 AFL Grand Final

McQualter debuted for St Kilda in the 2005 season and averaged 13 possessions per game over seven senior games. He appeared in ten games in the 2006 season.

At the end of the 2007 season, McQualter had played 23 games, earning 137 kicks and 121 handballs, for a total of 258 disposals (an average of 11.2 possessions per game).

McQualter was officially delisted by the Saints at the end of the 2007 season, despite having another year to run on a two year contract. He was reported as saying that he felt he had "stagnated" in his third year of football.^[1] He was then redrafted by the club as a rookie in the 2007 Draft and has returned to the team.

McQualter began the 2008 season quietly, but began to turn in several solid performances with St Kilda's then VFL affiliate. With his continued form, and St Kilda's form slump, McQualter was elevated off the rookie list, and selected to play against Sydney in round 12. He has since cemented his place in the senior team, after several stellar tagging jobs. He has played 10 straight games, a personal best for McQualter at the time. He played his first AFL final in the 1st qualifying final against Geelong.

McQualter was promoted back onto St Kilda's primary list at the end of the 2008 season.

McQualter played in 21 of 22 matches in the 2009 AFL Premiership Season Home & Away Rounds where the St Kilda Football Club qualified in first position for the 2009 AFL Finals Series, winning the club’s 3rd Minor Premiership.^[2]

St Kilda won direct qualification through to the 2009 AFL Grand Final after Qualifying & Preliminary Final wins. McQualter played in the 2009 AFL Grand Final where St Kilda was defeated by 12 points.

As of the end of the 2009 AFL Premiership Season, McQualter had played in 6 AFL Finals Series matches - including 1 AFL Grand Final.

[edit] References

1. St Kilda Football Club Official Website

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: St Kilda Football Club

• Andrew McQualter's statistics from AFL Tables
• Andrew McQualter profile on the Official AFL Website of the St Kilda Football Club