Daisy Pearce makes call on Channel 7 role after appointment as West Coast AFLW coach

Daisy Pearce has revealed she wants to continue her role as a pundit on Channel 7 during her commitments as West Coast Eagles coach in the AFLW. The Eagles announced on Monday that Pearce had been appointed the new coach of the women's team after she worked as an assistant with the Geelong Cats men's team in 2023.

The AFLW champion confirmed that her role at Geelong won't continue in 2024, but she's keen to continue her media commitments with Channel 7. The 35-year-old has worked as a game-day commentator and pundit on the Seven Network for the last two years - a role that caused controversy this season due to her job at Geelong.

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A number of AFL clubs barred Pearce from entering their rooms post-game in case she reported any intel back to the Cats. But speaking this week after landing the West Coast job, Pearce said she's keen to keep working on Channel 7 in 2024.

“If there's any way that I can stay involved with Channel 7 and the media work around that, I'll definitely explore it,” she said on SEN radio on Tuesday. “It's a conversation for (Seven West Media chair) Kerry Stokes, (Managing Director for Seven Melbourne) Lewis Martin (and I), who have been so supportive of me before this and in making this decision.

“If I can stay involved, I would love to because the privilege of commentating and working in media isn't lost on me. It's been awesome and a thrill. But yeah, my commitment and priority now will have to become my team at West Coast.”

Daisy Pearce fully committed to West Coast AFLW role

Due to the shorter length of the AFLW season, coaches are technically employed in part-time roles. "My role is purely within AFLW and that's where my commitment is at the club,” she added. “It's a part-time program at the moment, but as a senior coach, it's a full-time investment.

“With the way that the CBA changed this year to 12-month contracts for our players, which is a really positive step, I can only see that increasing. With the off-season, whilst there's space in it at the moment, I think that will gradually fill and that will be a positive thing as hopefully the season grows and the professionalism of the sport increases in terms of the commitment of hours and resourcing.

“It’s heading in that direction, so I anticipate that that will continue. But also, I think that's where you make a lot of your real gains, especially for a team that is trying to close the gap on the bigger teams, we're going to work pretty hard in that February through May period before the official pre-season begins. Even though it's the off-season, we're going to be really, really busy throughout that time.”

Kane Cornes' truth bomb for Daisy Pearce

Speaking earlier this year, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes said Pearce had all the attributes to be a successful head coach, but would need to choose between that and the media. “I think she has the capabilities to be a senior coach somewhere down the road. [But] that’s not going to happen if she continues down this (commentary) road,” Cornes said.

“It’s topical because clubs have banned her – and I think it’s the right call from clubs to do that. But if she wants to do it, I think she’s got to make a choice one way or another. Eventually, I think that will come.

“It feels like her passion is coaching, but I think it’s unsustainable to think she'll be able to do both effectively. If she wants to be great at one, she’s going to have to choose.”

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