Eagles coach and AFLW icon Pearce inducted into Hall of Fame
West Coast coach and AFLW trailblazer Daisy Pearce has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Pearce became the third woman to be honoured behind pioneer Debbie Lee in 2021 and fellow 2025 inductee Erin Phillips in a ceremony on Tuesday night.
The 37-year-old, a premiership captain at Melbourne, three-time best and fairest winner and three-time All-Australian, is considered one of the most influential and respected figures in the industry.
'It's an incredible honour, I can't quiet believe it to be honest,' Pearce said the honour.
'As a young, country girl who loved footy more than anything and thought there was no option to play professionally, a moment like this never seemed possible.
'I can't believe the growth of women's footy, I'm so proud to have played a small part and hope it continues to go from strength to strength.
'Congratulations also to Erin and of course to Debbie, who was a mentor of mine, and huge thank you to the AFL, my family and all those who have supported me.' Daisy Pearce, Hall of Fame Inductee accepts their certificate from Richard Goyder, Chairman of the AFL. Credit: Michael Willson / AFL Photos
Alongside her role as Eagles coach, Pearce also provides insightful and expert commentary in her role with Seven.
West Coast head of football Michelle Cowan said Pearce had helped shape the women's game.
'She's not only been a part of the AFLW story, but the broader AFL landscape as a captain, a commentator and now our coach. Her impact runs deep,' Cowan said.
'We are so proud to have Daisy at the West Coast Eagles and to have her leading our AFLW team.
'A huge congratulations to her on this well-deserved recognition, her legacy is inspiring to so many.'
Pearce and Phillips were among eight people inducted on Tuesday night, while South Australian football icon Ken Farmer was elevated to Legend status.
Phillips, a former Adelaide and Port Adelaide superstar in the AFLW, joins her dad Greg in the Hall of Fame, the first father-daughter combination to be inducted. Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce. Credit: Michael Willson / AFL Photos
'To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more,' she said. 'And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame.'
St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt and Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge, both former No.1 picks and a part of the Seven line-up, were also inducted alongside Melbourne great Garry Lyon.
East Perth legend George Owens, who won the WAFL's Sandover Medal in 1925, was posthumously honoured. He passed away in 1986, with his grandson Terry accepting his certificate on his behalf.
South Adelaide legend Peter Darley and Tasmanian footballing great John Leedman were also added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
37 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Steve Smith rues missed opportunity after losing wicket to Aidan Markram on Day 1 of World Test Championship final
Steve Smith went to bed after Day 1 of the World Test Championship final against South Africa still trying to work out how he nicked off to part-time spinner Aidan Markram. In the early hours of Thursday morning (AEST), the Australian batting maestro became the most prolific overseas Test run-scorer at Lord's in history, passing a century-old record previously held by early 1900s Aussie batter Warren Bardsley. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Australia in dominant position after Day 1 of WTC final. With his gritty 66 (112) in tricky batting conditions against a moving Duke ball, Smith reached 591 total runs from 10 innings at the Home of Cricket, passing Bardsley's 575, which had stood as the record since 1926. And yet, for all his dominance at the ground, he still managed to cough his wicket up to Markram when in reach of a 37th century. Asked what he learnt from the innings, Smith was facetiously blunt. 'Don't nick the part-time off-spinner... down the slope,' he said, putting his head in his hands. 'I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that. But yeah, don't do that. 'And then, nah, I don't know, just play what's in front of us. 'It (the pitch) might take a bit more spin as the game wears on, it's pretty dry. 'The seam might go down as the game goes on as well, potentially. 'I think the bounce is going to be variable throughout the game, as we've seen already on Day 1. 'Just play what's in front of us and hopefully we can get a few early ones in the morning and go through them and have a bit of a lead. That's the ideal scenario for us right now.' It was all about the Proteas quick Kagiso Rabada redemption story early in the day, running riot underneath overcast skies in London by taking two wickets in four balls. Rabada, in his first Test since serving a one-month ban for testing positive to cocaine, removed Usman Khawaja (a 20-ball duck) and Cameron Green (four) in the seventh over. In his first Test since March 2024, fit-again Green hit his first delivery to the boundary at fine leg in a promising start. But the 26-year-old was gone just two balls later, edging a Rabada rocket to slips where he was superbly caught by Markram. Marnus Labuschagne, in his first innings as a Test opener, started brightly to get through until drinks. But as he often has during the last two years, the under-pressure Queenslander struggled to keep the score ticking over. Labuschagne got caught between playing a shot and leaving a Marco Jansen delivery, nicking off for 17 from 56 balls. The 30-year-old, who was once described as having 'opening-itis', won the battle to be Khawaja's fifth opening partner in 18 months over teenager Sam Konstas. The spectre of Konstas, one of Australian cricket's rising stars, will now loom even larger for the upcoming three-Test tour of the West Indies. Labuschagne's last Test century came back in July 2023 at Manchester. Travis Head, who starred with a matchwinning 163 in Australia's WTC final triumph in 2023, was out on the final ball before lunch after wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne hung on to a screamer.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
AFLW introduces future pick trading, pre-season draft, as part of 2025 rule changes
AFLW clubs will soon be able to trade future picks as part of the evolution of player movement ticked off by the AFL Commission on Wednesday. Following consultation with clubs, a pre-season draft will also be introduced, along with a handful of rule changes and interpretations. Previously, AFLW clubs have been handicapped by the ability to only trade picks in the upcoming draft. Just last year, Paige Scott was forced to delist themselves and nominate for the draft when the forward's trade from Essendon to Richmond fell through. Now, with the introduction of future pick trading, clubs will have the flexibility to trade their future first round selection or their future second round selection, but not both. Clubs must also ensure they maintain a presence in the first round for at least two years across a five-year period, unless otherwise approved, to aid list regeneration. Board approval will also be required in the exchange of first round picks. A pre-season draft will also replace the supplementary selection period next year, giving clubs the chance to cover list gaps from the off-season. 'Following the transition to a National Draft last season, these changes are further recognition of the greater sophistication that is being established in the AFLW competition and specifically within player movement,' AFL Executive General Manager of Football Operations Laura Kane said. 'Introducing future pick trading means creating more trade collateral and levers for clubs to pull, giving them greater ability to make list management decisions and in turn, more opportunity for player movement.' The AFL Commission has also approved one rule change aimed at reducing congestion. Where a stoppage occurs within 10m of the boundary between the 50m arcs, the ball up will occur 10m inside the boundary. 'Data shows us that secondary stoppage rates are higher when the ball up is close to the boundary and scoring rates are lower, so the introduction of the on-field rule change is aimed at opening up space around stoppages close to the boundary line where the stoppage is denser,' Kane said. In further changes aimed at reducing density, three further umpiring interpretations will be introduced in 2025: • Ruck Nomination: Once a ruck nomination has been received from each team, the umpire will restart play, regardless of whether the nominated players are in the area to contest the ball up or throw in. • No Genuine Attempt: Umpires will be stricter on players who do not make a genuine attempt to dispose of the ball when tackled legally with no prior opportunity. • Dive/Drag: Umpires will be stricter on players who dive on or drag the ball in and do not immediately knock the ball clear when tackled legally.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again
At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!" At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!" At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!"
