West Coast coach Daisy Pearce isn’t sure how she will feel coaching against her former team for the first time on Sunday, but said she was certain old loyalties wouldn’t blunt her competitiveness.
Pearce led Melbourne to their 2022 season seven flag over Brisbane as a pioneer of women’s football and played 55 games for the club before her retirement.
Given the shorter nature of the AFLW season, Pearce didn’t get a chance to face the Demons in her first campaign at the helm of West Coast, meaning Sunday’s round six clash is her first chance to test herself against the powerhouse club.
And while Pearce was clear she had nothing but respect for her former club and Demons counterpart Mick Stinear, she said it would mean little once the ball was bounced.
“It’ll be a really good challenge,” she said.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who respects Mick and their team more than me, having been able to see them up close.
“It’s a really good challenge, but one of the biggest things both Mick and I have bonded over is our competitiveness, and our will to win, so that will be no different when we face each other on the weekend.
“I would expect nothing different from them either.”
The last time the two sides met in 2023, the Demons claimed a comprehensive 70-point victory in Perth, and West Coast have never beaten Melbourne.
In fact, the closest the Eagles have come is 59 points in their inaugural season.
However, the blue and gold look a different side under Pearce and are only four points out of the top four approaching the halfway mark.
The former Demons skipper will also have valuable insight into how the team operate, effectively having built the club’s on-field foundations.
Pearce won three best and fairest awards during her time at Melbourne and was named All-Australian three times.
Her work with the club even earned her an illustrious Hall of Fame entry, becoming the third woman to be inducted, behind AFLW pioneer Debbie Lee in 2021, and fellow 2025 inductee Erin Phillips.
But Pearce remained relaxed ahead of the trip to her old stomping grounds at Casey Field and said maintaining elite pressure would be the only road to victory.
“They play a bit like us for some reason, I think they’re copying me,” she joked.
“I think one of Melbourne’s real strengths is their fundamentals around the ball, so as damaging as their forwards are, it’s sometimes the supply they get.
“They’re so clean with their skills around the ball, so a big focus for us will be our pressure.
“It’s been a big area of growth for us this year, our ability to sustain our pressure through quarters, so we’ll be looking to bring our best pressure game because we think if we can limit the supply that their forwards get, it will really help our backs out.
“It’s probably the biggest thing we’re focusing on in terms of nullifying their impact. There are some good players, but we back our backs in if we can get pressure on the ball.”
https://thewest.com.au/sport/aflw/west-coast-eagles-coach-daisy-pearce-certain-old-loyalties-wont-blunt-her-competitiveness-against-melbourne-c-20063588
