McQualter expected to join Demons after leaving Punt Rd

Former Richmond House coach Andrew McQualter (C) looks set for a move to Melbourne. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Former Richmond House coach Andrew McQualter (C) looks set for a move to Melbourne.

Andrew McQualter is expected to join Melbourne in a move to replace new Richmond coach Adem Yze.

Earlier on Tuesday, Richmond confirmed that McQualter had left the club without being full-time head coach.

McQualter led the Tigers to seven wins from 13 games when he took over from three-time head coach Damien Hardwick, who stunned the AFL when he abruptly left in May. On September 21, Yze won the permanent Richmond role from McQualter in a close call.

Yze was Simon Goodwin’s assistant coach in Melbourne before winning the Richmond job and McQualter is believed to have gone to the Demons in a similar role.

Yze liked to call McQualter his “right-hand man,” but his departure was in the cards.

The Tigers confirmed on Tuesday that McQualter will move to another club after 10 years at Punt Rd.

The former St Kilda and Gold Coast player joined the VFL as a player assistant and development coach ahead of the 2014 season but later became an AFL assistant.

He attended three premiers in Richmond in 2017, 2019 and 2020. “We would like to thank Andrew for his incredible service to Richmond over 10 years,” Richmond head of football Tim Livingstone said in a statement.

“He built great relationships within the organization and played a major role in our success during that time.

“It was a selfless decision by Andrew to step in as interim manager and he has done an excellent job leading the team for 13 weeks.

“Andrew continues to improve his coaching skills, which we respect.

– He is a great coach with a long future in the game and we wish him and his family all the best.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon asked McQualter to join his panel last year, but last week said a reunion was unlikely. “That ship has sailed to be honest,” Lyon told radio network SEN.

Yze met Richmond players and fans on Tuesday night to present the club’s Jack Dyer Medal to the best and fairest.