McQualter and Goddard both captained the school's First XVIII football team and played in the First XI cricket side.

[3] McQualter debuted for St Kilda in Round 8 of the 2005 season against the West Coast Eagles at Subiaco in Perth, with 16 possessions.

With his continued good form McQualter was temporarily elevated off the rookie list and selected to play against Sydney in Round 12.

He cemented his place in the senior team after several tagging jobs and played nine consecutive games, a personal best for McQualter at the time.

McQualter played in 21 of 22 matches in the 2009 season in which St Kilda qualified in first position for the 2009 finals series, winning the club’s third minor premiership.

[11][12] McQaulter then coached Richmond for a total of 13 games with seven wins and six losses and then the club finished thirteenth on the ladder and did not make the finals.

[16][17][18][19][20][21] In late 2023, it was announced that McQualter had joined the Melbourne Football Club as an assistant under senior coach Simon Goodwin.

[22] McQualter then left the Melbourne Football Club at the end of the 2024 season to replace former senior AFL coach Jarrad Schofield at the West Coast Eagles.