Introduction
Daisy Pearce is an Australian rules footballer who is the captain of the Melbourne Football Club women's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) exhibition matches and Darebin Falcons in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL). In 2007, she was named in the VWFL All-Australian team. Daisy has been hailed a legend by locals as she leads the way for female football athletes in a sport dominated by males.
Daisy Pearce was born in Bright, Victoria. Throughout her childhood she grew up in the country and her family's love for football had great influence over her passion for the sport as well. She began playing Auskick at the age of 5 or 6 before going on to play with boys in junior footy. Her father, Daryl, was a coach for the Bright junior footy team which allowed her to begin training with the U13 team from the age of 8 years old. She played football alongside her older brother, Harry and they were especially competitive when it came to football. Daisy attended Bright Eltam High School from prep to year 12. She now also works as a midwife at Box Hill Hospital.
She captained Victoria's under-19 side at the 2007 AFL Women's National Championships in July 2007. The 19-year-old was named in the All-Australian team and was also applauded for her efforts during the week-long carnival with the joint-player of the tournament award. Daisy led the team to the Premiership in a 47-point win against South Australia.
In June 2007, Pearce was one of two Victorian Women's Football League representatives in the E J Whitten Legends Game where she played against such football legends as Scott Cummings, Nick Holland, Mick Martyn and Nicky Winmar.
On 15 May 2013, Pearce was the number one draft pick chosen by the Melbourne Football Club in the first ever women's AFL draft. Pearce was one of 50 women to make history on 29 June when the club's women's team took on the Western Bulldogs women's team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was played as a pre-game curtain raiser to the men's match.
Pearce was the inaugural winner of the Melbourne Football Club's Best Female Player Award at the end of the 2014 season, polling five out of a possible six votes.
Honors and achievements
- Premiership player with the Darebin Falcons: 2006 - 2010, 2013 - 14
- Helen Lambert Award: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
- Captain, Darebin Falcons: 2008–present
- Captain, Melbourne: 2013–present
- ^ Lane, Samantha (2016-02-03). "Michelle Cowan appointed to Melbourne's coaching staff". The Age. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- Burga, Matt (20 June 2013). "Pearce named Melbourne captain". Melbourne FC. Bigpond. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- "VWFL Presentation night winners - Victorian Women's Football League - FOX SPORTS PULSE". FOX SPORTS PULSE. Retrieved 2016-03-04.