AFLW 2024: West Coast Eagles coach Daisy Pearce pledges her side will become ‘unconditionally competitive’

West Coast AFLW coach Daisy Pearce has pledged her side will become unconditionally competitive and urged players not to get caught up in past results. Pearce is set to enter her first season at the helm after she was appointed at the end of last year in one of the biggest coups in Eagles history, with the club hoping to turn their fortunes around after a dismal four years in the competition. The highly respected Melbourne premiership player is seen as the perfect leader to do just that, being touted as having one of the best football brains in the country. Speaking at the season launch on Wednesday night, Pearce said she was strongly focused on improving the side and was confident the team would see results. “The reality is we don’t need to be the best team in the world, we get 11 goes and all we need to do is just be better than one team each week,” she said. “We will win games and lose games but winning isn’t really the point, it’s our will to win that’s the point, more importantly, our will to improve.” Pearce gave the crowd at the launch night — which included chief executive Don Pyke, AFL coach Jarrad Schofield and players including captain Oscar Allen, veteran Jeremy McGovern and young gun Harley Reid — an insight into her approach as a leader, reminding her players of the pride and privilege of pulling on a blue and yellow jumper. The 36-year-old invited the group to close their eyes and picture themselves as a seven-year-old girl handed her first football, dreaming of playing professional women’s football. “Imagine being drafted by one of the biggest clubs in the country and having access to world-class facilities, how exciting it would be to be on an AFLW list and what a privilege it would be to play professional sport,” she said. “Open your eyes. You are here exactly where you wanted to be. Now you are here what are you going to do?” A number of players have spoken about the renewed energy Pearce had brought to the club since her appointment, with new Eagle Octavia Di Donato saying being around her was a constant “pinch me” moment. “Daisy’s speech before what she said about your younger self I often reflect on those times playing with the boys as well, it’s all come together,” she said. “I went through three drafts so to now finally get picked up, it starts now.” Di Donato was signed last week as a replacement player for pregnant veteran Dana Hooker after missing out on the draft for a third consecutive season. The 20-year-old found out last Friday last week, moved over to Perth four days later completing her first training session with the team the same day as being presented with her playing jersey from defender Rhett Bazzo. “I didn’t even own a suitcase I had to buy a suitcase,” she said. “I put in 100 percent effort into everything, I knew in myself that if I put in everything I could to try get this opportunity and its come through” West Coast will play a match simulation against Fremantle on Friday night before their season officially launches against Richmond on August 30.