Lauren Pearce combines Big V basketball for Bulleen Boomers with VFL Women’s football for Darebin

LAUREN Pearce is juggling Big V Basketball with VFL Women’s football this winter.

BASKETBALLER Lauren Pearce has joined the women’s football revolution.

The 23-year-old, who is in her eighth Big V state league season with the Bulleen Boomers, has added football to her winter schedule, playing for Darebin in the VFL Women’s competition.

Last Saturday night at East Doncaster Secondary College she scored a game-high 27 points in the Boomers’ win over Eltham. On Sunday, Pearce was on field at the famous Peanut Farm Reserve as the Falcons beat St Kilda to continue their unbeaten start to the season.

Pearce loves the juggle.

“I was getting into a rut with basketball but footy has broken it up and I think my basketball has been better for it. I was getting lazy, bored and tired of it and now I’ve got this other outlet, I love footy and I get excited for basketball,’’ she said.

“I didn’t even know the avenues for women’s footy - the regions or all the amazing players. It’s phenomenal. I can’t believe how good they are, not because I didn’t believe it, but because all you see on TV is the men and how good they are, but there’s girls on our team who are amazing kicks and so skilled, it’s crazy how good they actually are.

“With the AFL women’s league coming in I feel like I picked a good moment to come into footy.”

Pearces contests the ball for Darebin. Picture: David Smith.

A member of the Boomers sole WNBL championship, Pearce had only kicked the Sherrin with friends or at school when friend Brooke Patterson last year asked if she was keen to have a go. They found Darebin via it’s informative website and headed down to training.

Pearce started pre-season before Christmas, participated in the national talent screening then took up an opportunity to join the AFL Victoria Women’s Football Academy and fine tune her skills.

Two part time jobs allow Pearce to train with Bulleen’s senior men on Monday nights, the Boomers on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Falcons’ on Wednesdays and Fridays.

“My footy’s developed so much in such a short time because I’ve been exposed to this environment, the academy training sessions, learning the game and things like one-on-one kicking coaching ’’ she said.

The 184cm forward has utilised her basketball skill set while playing in the ruck for the Falcons and during stints in the back and forward line.

Pearce on the court for the Boomers.

“Footy’s helped the basketball and the basketball’s helped the footy,’’ she said.

“Basketball translates so much into footy, reading the play, the athleticism, the speed. From basketball I was able to bring that, I just have to work on my kicking, where to run and what to do.

“The Darebin girls are pretty amazing and every time I’m on the field they’re telling me where to push up, to stay back or lead and that’s how I’ve learned. It’s good I went to such a successful club, not because of winning but because there’s always that guidance around you.”

Pearce has even recruited some new fans to women’s football.

“At Bulleen we’ve got a Danish import and an American import this year and they came and watched me play last weekend,’’ she said.

“They were excited to watch their first footy game and they loved it.”