Caitlin Bassett: 15-minute Daisy Pearce speech that proved to me West Coast Eagles AFLW coach the real deal

West Coast made a very clear statement when they lured AFLW legend Daisy Pearce to Perth — they are serious about growing the women’s game at the club. A pioneer of the code, her appointment was called one of the biggest recruiting coups in the club’s history and rightfully so. Lauded for her football IQ, her presence has already given the players something they have lacked in previous years a — competitive edge. Listening to her speak at the Eagles AFLW team launch on Wednesday, the club has already notched up a win without even playing an official game. She spoke about the journey of a young girl driven by her love of the game weaving in anecdotes and creating a vision of the opportunities that lay ahead for the club. I’ve never played a game of AFL before, but after hearing her speak I would have happily laced up some boots and burst out onto the field. It’s easy to see why the players look up to her, not only has she done it all as a player she is down to earth and genuinely invested in helping them succeed. A premiership captain and three-time All-Australian Pearce is a ruthless competitor and will be the driving force pushing the club up the ladder to finals for the first time. With 11 new recruits she has brought in a mix of experience and young talent and in only a short time has fostered a belief in the group that anything is possible if you are willing to do the hard work. She understands the power of building relationships and has continued to build connection and respect with her hands on approach and willingness to embrace the positives. The group obviously idolise her and new recruit Roxy Roux openly admits to having posters of Pearce on her wall growing up. Heading into their sixth season the Eagles will be looking to improve on past results, they have never won more than two games in a season. The proof however will be in the doing ... or in Daisy’s words: “talk is cheap and counts for nothing.”