Daisy Pearce has commented on the barriers she has had to overcome to become an AFL analyst in a male-dominated industry and why she “doesn’t believe” in the out-of-date view of coaching in the AFL.
The AFL Nation and Channel 7 commentator and SEN regular took home the Best Opinion/Analysis on TV/radio award on Tuesday night at the Australian Football Media Awards.
The AFMA Committee said, “(her) football knowledge is incredible and she leaves viewers with a better appreciation of the game.”
Melbourne’s AFLW captain told SEN's Whateley she had to convince a lot of people that she was fit for the variety of media roles she now holds, most notably herself.
“If I remove myself from it, just someone who grew up loving the game, a female, can be acknowledged in an analysis and opinion role in the AFL, it was a pretty awesome moment (to receive the award),” Pearce said.
“It’s taken time, for reasons that are probably hard to explain to a lot of people, someone like Kelli (Underwood) probably gets it.
“It’s taken me time to convince people I belong, that’s before you even sit down and do your job unpacking and articulating a game.
“First convince the decision-makers, who give people in roles like this an opportunity, that you belong.
“The next step is to convince the audience, or a big enough part of it, and then third and final step, which I’ve found the most difficult, is to convince yourself that you belong.
“That’s because unknowingly the narrative around the place about women in the game has seeped into my psyche, so I’ve had to convince myself that I belong. That’s taken time and it’s made it hard to get the words out (at times).”
Justin Leppitsch declared he was keen to see Pearce “change the face of footy" earlier this week on SEN's Whateley and become a coach in the AFL, prompting Gerard Whateley to ask the 33-year old what she thought of the idea.
“I think once I’m not in the playing environment and I don’t belong to a team… I feel like there will be an itch that’s not being scratched,” she said.
“Once that’s gone, the next most natural thing to scratch that and continue will be coaching.”
However, Pearce said it’s an opportunity that’s only opened up to her in recent times and something she never would have considered growing up.
There has never been a female coach in the men's competition, although multiple have coached an AFLW team.
“Going on a timeline of my lifetime, for 25 years that (coaching proposition) wasn’t even considered, it wasn’t something that people would have entertained,” Pearce said.
“The next seven years it was maybe, in 20 years was the timeframe put on it.
“It’s only now that the answer to that question, from the new Head of Strategy at the Collingwood Football Club, the biggest club in the land, only now is the answer to that ‘yeah, absolutely.’
“Regardless of the outcome, whether it’s me or someone else, I’m just glad we’ve come to that place.”
She also believes she has the qualities to make it as an AFL coach.
”I just think ‘why not now,’” she said.
“Now I sit here and I think I do get the game, I see it, I’ve lived parts of it.
“I really want to reassert that I’m not just talking about myself, but a lot of female coaches would be the same.
“This thing that if you haven’t played men’s football and if you’re not that alpha male character then you won’t be able to coach, I just don’t believe that anymore.”
Pearce is currently in quarantine in Western Australia, set to be out by the Grand Final to be a part of Channel 7’s coverage of the game.