West Coast young gun Tyrell Dewar reflects on journey from Kalgoorlie to Eagles, breakout game against Brisbane

From project player to crucial cog in West Coast’s rebuilding squad, Tyrell Dewar has taken the long road from Kalgoorlie to the AFL. Eliza Reilly speaks to the breakout Eagle.

It was the sliding doors moment that could’ve cost Tyrell Dewar his AFL career.

Aged 13, Dewar moved from Kalgoorlie in the Goldfields to Perth in pursuit of football. But after just one year at Wesley College, homesickness got the better of him.

“I moved home after one year,” Dewar told this masthead. “I did one year of school back in Kal and halfway through the year, I thought that I’ve got no opportunities here and I’m not going to make the most out of my football.

“I decided to go back to Wesley and lucky enough they let me back in so I could finish my schooling in years 11 and 12.”

If Dewar had remained in Kalgoorlie, he wouldn’t have been scouted by West Coast’s Next Generation Academy playing PSA football for Wesley.

He wouldn’t have been listed by the Eagles as a Category B rookie.

And he wouldn’t have completed his ascension from project player to crucial cog in West Coast’s rebuilding squad.

Tyrell Dewar during his breakout game against Brisbane on the weekend. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout game in round 2 against reigning premier Brisbane, finishing with 20 disposals, two goals, seven marks and 591 metres gained. But that performance has been a long time in the making.

When Dewar first arrived at the Eagles, he weighed just 67kg and was miles off a debut.

“That day I was drafted was very surreal,” he said. “I had all of my family there and it didn’t even feel real.

“It started to hit home in the next couple of days but during my first year, I was still starstruck that I was at the footy club to be honest.

“I was thinking it was going to be a walk in the park and I’ll hopefully play in round 1. But I got a bit of a reality check in the pre-season and I realised how hard it is to be an AFL player.

“I was way off playing AFL when I first rocked up to the club. It took me about a year and a half to realise that I was an AFL player.”

The Mines Rovers product played 18 senior WAFL games in his first season at the club. He showed promise but his professionalism wasn’t up to scratch.

A pep talk from then-coach Adam Simpson encouraged Dewar to realise his potential. So he went to work in the off-season and put his best foot forward in 2024, culminating in his debut against Collingwood in round 9.

“Coming into my second pre-season, I knew what it took to be an AFL player and really knuckled down,” he said. “It took a huge amount of work to get to where I am today.

“I reckon it’s just my confidence from last year going into this pre-season. I had to build belief. I thought I had another level to go to.”

Tyrell Dewar and Tyler Brockman. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Dewar played seven games during his debut season, kicking five goals as part of West Coast’s attack.

Then new coach Andrew McQualter arrived at the club in September and thought Dewar’s silky skills and class could be better used elsewhere on the field.

“On his first day, Mini said he saw me as a half-back or a winger,” Dewar said. “Then two weeks later after the first pre-season session he asked me if I wanted to go play on the wing or half-back and that was that.

“I thought it was somewhere where I can really play my best footy going forward.”

West Coast track watchers noted Dewar’s steady improvement across the course of the summer. And if the Eagles coaches needed any more convincing, he almost reeled in a spectacular mark during a pre-season match simulation session against Richmond.

Tyrell Dewar flies for a mark in a pre-season game against Richmond. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Still, Dewar had to convince himself that he was capable of playing consistently at the top level.

“I was pretty nervous against Gold Coast in round one but now I’m pretty set for the season going forward,” he said. “I’m not really a confident bloke and I always doubt myself a lot.

“I reckon it’s a good thing because it pushes me a bit harder to achieve things.”

Dewar already has the right people around him to succeed.

When he was signed by the Eagles, he was compared to fellow Subiaco star Liam Ryan. As it turns out, that’s the biggest compliment he could’ve received.

“He was one of my idols growing up and I’ve always wanted to play with him,” Dewar said. “He’s been great for me in my short career so far and he gives me that belief and confidence.”

One of the first text messages Dewar received when he was drafted was from fellow Kalgoorlie product Dom Sheed. While Sheed will miss the rest of the year after tearing his ACL, the 2018 premiership hero has been a pillar of support.

“He’s given me a few pointers in the off-season and in pre-season but yeah to play in the midfield so that’s been pretty helpful,” Dewar said. “I think I’ve still got a bit more to offer on the footy field and I’m looking forward to seeing what else happens this season for me personally.”

Originally published as West Coast young gun Tyrell Dewar reflects on journey from Kalgoorlie to Eagles, breakout game against Brisbane