Daisy Pearce reflects on the elimination final loss to Carlton on Saturday
By westcoasteagles.com.au
The West Coast Eagles’ AFLW season came to a close on Saturday afternoon at IKON Park, with the team walking away unsuccessful against Carlton in the elimination final.
While the scoreboard didn’t fall in their favour, senior coach Daisy Pearce was full of praise for her side’s growth, resilience, and the valuable experience gained from their first finals campaign.
“We’re proud of their effort all year,” Pearce said post-match.
“Carlton took their opportunities, especially in that third quarter where they lifted their physicality and intensity. It’ll be a great lesson for us moving forward.”
The Eagles were well in the contest at half-time, but a surge from Carlton after the break proved decisive. Pearce acknowledged the step-up in intensity that finals football demands.
“We’ve improved in that area, but today there were patches where they were stronger. We lost our layering a bit early, and they got us on the outside.”
Despite the result, Pearce was optimistic about the experience gained and the foundation laid for future success.
“These are the moments that make eventual success more satisfying,” Pearce said.
“You’ve got to endure losses like today, regroup, improve, and go again. That process repeated is what gets you there.”
Pearce, herself no stranger to finals football, reflected on the emotional and developmental value of the occasion.
“Every game is 80 minutes of development, but finals add another layer. The biggest takeaway is belief,” Pearce said.
“We made finals, that gives us confidence that the work we’re doing is helping us progress.”
The Eagles faced an emotional rollercoaster in the lead-up to the final, having to wait on other results to confirm their place. Pearce commended her players for how they handled the week.
“Once we lost to Carlton on Friday night, we couldn’t control what happened next,” Pearce said.
“But by Monday, they came in, reset, and trained really well. I can’t fault their preparation, we just ran into a better side today.”
Looking ahead, Pearce said the focus would be on building strength, consistency, and fundamentals.
“We’ll narrow in on a couple of things that will give us more value next year,” Pearce said.
“More strength and conditioning and more work on fundamentals. But the belief is there, and that gives us the enthusiasm to do the work.”
