Daisy Pearce has led the West Coast Eagles to their first-ever AFLW finals series, just two years after taking over as head coach. The Eagles, who struggled in their first four seasons, will face Carlton in Melbourne on Sunday in an elimination final.
Pearce, a 37-year-old Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee, has been widely praised for transforming the club's fortunes. Despite being touted as a potential first female senior coach in the AFL men's league, Pearce remains focused on her current role. 'I sort of just want to be the best I can for the players I coach now,' she said.
The former Melbourne premiership captain has inspired growth in women's football, with female participation in the sport more than tripling since the AFLW launched in 2017. In Western Australia, participation rates have outpaced the national average, with a 10% year-on-year rise in girls aged 5-12 in grassroots programs.
Pearce deflected credit for the so-called 'Daisy effect', attributing the sport's growth to investment and opportunity. However, she noted challenges remain, particularly in regional areas, and called for greater focus on retaining young girls and women in sport.
The Eagles enter the finals as underdogs after a wet-weather loss to Carlton last weekend. They will be boosted by the return of defender Jess Rentsch from suspension but will miss vice-captain Mikayla Western, who suffered a serious knee injury at training.
