Melbourne AFLW star Daisy Pearce named the Demons’ inaugural captain

DAISY Pearce has just about done it all in women’s football and now she’ll captain the Demons in the inaugural season as she chases the first ever AFLW premiership.

DAISY Pearce has just about done it all in women’s football, but now she’s got her eye on the inaugural AFL Women’s premiership.

The 28-year-old — who the Sunday Herald Sun can reveal will captain Melbourne’s women’s outfit in its first season, aided by deputies Melissa Hickey and Elise O’Dea — has waited a long time for the national women’s league to be established.

And with only 21 days to go until the Demons step out for the first time, Pearce can’t wait for things to get cracking.

“Every preseason I get to the point where there’s so many things going through your head and so many things you can be working on and talking about, whereas once you play that first game, it really narrows your focus because you’ve got something to work off,” she said.

“Heading into that first game will be good to get the ball rolling.

“It’s come around really quickly. It’s weird something that you’ve worked for for so long and hoped would come now it feels like it’s come around quickly.”

Daisy Pearce (middle) will captain Melbourne in the inaugural AFLW season, with Melissa Hickey (left) and Elise O’Dea (right) the other members of the leadership group. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

And she’s setting her sights on the first-ever AFL Women’s flag.

“Certainly. I think most teams would be heading in with that dream,” Pearce said.

“We’re just really focused on putting in the work that is required to put us in a competitive position and making sure that we all are ears and eyes open and ready to learn as we head through it.”

Having Hickey and O’Dea as support will be vital, Pearce said, after a recent team vote that she was pleased to see throw up a range of names.

“It’s always nice to have the confidence of our teammates to put you in these positions and that they want us to lead them into this first big season,” she said.

“It’s nice having those two girls — I’ve played a fair bit of footy with both of them and they’re great leaders and certainly people that I find myself looking to.

Daisy Pearce in action during a pre-season training session. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“They’re not just great footballers but really composed players out on the field and voices that I continually hear when I’m playing, as well.”

Training has been taken to the next level since Christmas, which Pearce says makes it “feel like things are getting a lot more real”.

But it’s the sense of the unknown that excites — and kind of scares — her most.

“Usually you head into a season … not knowing where everyone will sit, but you do have a fair idea of pecking order or what to expect from opposition teams and even your own team,” Pearce said.

“We head into this year almost a little bit blind not knowing what we’re up against.

“You just have to do as much as you can to try and prepare and work the rest out when you get out there. That side of things is a little bit scary but is also kind of exciting.”