Minutes before the opening round of the 2024 AFLW season, West Coast Eagles coach Daisy Pearce was pacing in the warm-up area.
The decorated former Demons star was about to coach her first AFLW game, a highly anticipated clash against Richmond at Perth’s Mineral Resources Park.
Daisy Pearce in her first game in charge at West Coast.Credit: AFL Photos
A tap on the shoulder interrupted the million thoughts racing through her mind.
It was one of her players, thanking her for the support she’d given them with an off-field challenge. Without Pearce, they said they wouldn’t be in a position to go out and play.
“In that moment, I just thought wow, we’ve already won,” Pearce said. “The rest is just a bonus from here.
“I set out to connect with the players and I’ve achieved that ... It sums up the proudest moment I’ve had this year.”
The Eagles went on to win the match that night – a thrilling one-point victory in front of a home crowd, setting the precedent for their strongest season on record.
When West Coast announced Pearce as their senior coach in December last year, the club described it as “one of the biggest recruiting coups of their history”.
The club had weathered a challenging year, placing 17th on the ladder and notching just seven wins across their five seasons in AFLW.
Pearce, a former premiership captain and three-time best and fairest player, was heralded as a fresh face for the club’s new era, focusing on growth and development for their young side.
Former Melbourne Demons star Daisy Pearce has been a pioneer of AFLWCredit: Getty Images
However, the decision to accept the biggest job of her career was not simple.
Pearce already had a coveted position working as an assistant coach for Geelong’s men’s team and was a commentator for Channel 7.
Accepting West Coast’s offer meant hitting pause on a prestigious media career and moving her young family across the country to Perth.
“There was initial hesitation because I felt like I was in such a good spot in Geelong,” Pearce explained.
Seven’s AFL commentary team for 2023 - Hamish McLachlan, James Brayshaw, Daisy Pearce, Shaun Burgoyne, Brian Taylor, Abbey Holmes and Luke Hodge.Credit: Seven Network
“The other thing was probably a bit of self-doubt around whether I was ready to take it on and step away from the media stuff.”
The turning point for Pearce was reflecting on her experience with Melbourne coach Mick Stinear, who mentored her throughout her AFLW career.
“I admired how hard he [Stinear] worked and his amazing ability to reach and develop every single player … I was always so grateful to have him as a coach when I was a player,” she said.
“I always felt it was a big responsibility to become a coach. But at the end, it was about looking to see where the biggest opportunity to make an impact was … so I decided to jump in.”
The transition from assistant coach to head was challenging, with Pearce describing 2024 as “really hard but rewarding”.
“I think I’ve probably never worked harder in my life,” she laughed. “As everyone says, it’s a demanding job ... and I’ve had to learn a lot on the run.”
The move to Perth went smoothly and while Pearce missed her family and consistent coffee, there was no love lost for Melbourne’s fickle weather.
“We’re an adventurous, outdoors family ... my kids can ride to school every single morning because there’s not sideways hail three months a year,” she laughed.
Daisy Pearce, with daughter Sylvie, husband Ben O’Neill with their son Roy. Credit: AFL Photos
Under her leadership, the Eagles have finished 12th on the ladder, a feat Pearce attributed to hard work, organic growth and “incremental steps in the background”.
“I want to give credit to the people that have worked really hard here for a number of years... they’ve been able to maintain and re-sign a really talented young list despite not getting long field results,” she said.
Mindfulness session are offered to Eagles players before every training session and game – an important exercise Pearce says helps build mental skills.
“I think so much of performance comes down to your mindset and your ability to use your mental toolkit to get through different things,” she said.
“We keep it optional, so that those who find it helpful can do it, and others can go and do what they need to do.”
The West Coast Eagles during their pre-season campaign. Credit: Getty Images
Pearce has also brought her own creative storytelling to the team including some much-loved Mario Kart analogies.
“At pre-season camp, we invited players to act out the story of our season ... one group used Mario Kart as an example because sometimes you run into banana peels ... make mistakes and go off track,” she said.
“Then during round one, we all met in the middle of the ground before the game and there was a random banana peel just sitting in the circle. I think everyone thought I’d planned it, so I just ended up using it my speech.”
Daisy Pearce during her final training session with the Eagles ahead of their clash against Sydney on Saturday.
Despite an overall strong season, the team have had to manage a few of those banana peels.
The Eagles recently suffered four consecutive losses (which cost them a spot in finals), a streak the team hopes to extinguish during Saturday’s clash against Sydney.
However, Pearce praised her team’s grit and determination and “willingness to grow and compete.”
“We are really clear and honest about the fact we’ve got a lot of work to do to become the team we want to be.”
This year, the AFL extended each team’s AFLW season by one match, condensing the fixture to fit the new 11-game home-and-away season into the same 10-week stretch of time.
The league copped criticism for the fixtures’ heightened risk of injury with Melbourne coach Mick Stinear and Carlton captain Karyn Peterson calling for a review ahead of next year’s competition.
Pearce supported calls for a review but said the condensed fixture was a “solution to a unique challenge”.
“I think the AFL has been pretty open about the fact that condensing it wasn’t necessarily a lens to the future in how we want to play and operate, but more just a bit of an anomaly for this year,” she said.
Ella Roberts of the Eagles during the Week 9 game against the Cats. Credit: Getty Images
Pearce said her team enjoyed midweek footy but was conscious of the fixture’s impact on players.
“I think the hidden toll, apart from physically, was the mental load, especially when juggling part-time careers with playing,” she said.
Asked her thoughts about what the competition would look like in 2030, Pearce hoped every AFLW team would play each other once.
“I want to see a really high-quality competition full of incredible talent ... and see stadiums and footy grounds all around the country full of passionate AFLW fans.”
Pearce did not rule out a return to coaching men’s footy, but said she “honestly didn’t think about it”.
“Every day, I turn up wanting to be the best coach that I can be and to keep improving,” she said.
“I love women’s’ footy, I loved working with the men. I look forward to the day when we don’t talk about them like they’re two different things.
“I think it’s awesome we’ve got to a spot now, where it’s not, will a woman ever? [coach mens’ AFL], it’s when.
“But for me, I don’t have a step-by-step plan to get somewhere. I’m just trying to become the best coach that I can be with the opportunity I have right now.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.