Eagles Adopt ‘No Surprises’ Mentality Before First AFLW Final
West Coast coach Daisy Pearce is preparing her team to maintain a calm, “no surprises” approach as they face Carlton at Ikon Park on Saturday in their first-ever AFLW final. During their Wednesday training session, crowd noise was amplified through loudspeakers to simulate match conditions.
Drawing on her experience as a premiership player with Melbourne, Pearce is helping the squad understand the unique aspects of finals football. She emphasized the importance of readiness for the occasion’s atmosphere, including a larger crowd and the national anthem.
“We know it’s the first time for a lot of people, so things like a bigger crowd, a national anthem, little nuances that finals bring. We’re talking about them so that there’s no surprises on the day,” Pearce said.
Pearce stressed focusing on the fundamentals that brought the team success during the season and staying present in the moment. She acknowledged the strength of their opponent, who recently defeated the Eagles by 20 points.
“We’re going to be playing against a very good opposition, who we got a taste of on last Friday night. So there’s going to be moments in the game that challenge us. But it’s important to go into the game not hoping that challenges don’t come, or pressure moments don’t come. It’s accepting that they’re going to happen and be ready to sort of negotiate our way through them.”
Pearce also noted the value of consistent season preparation to avoid major changes at finals time:
“If you set the season right, you sort of don’t have to change a lot when you get to this point.”
Carlton’s round 12 win was driven by midfielders Abbie McKay and Mimi Hill and a strong defensive effort from Harriet Cordner, who recorded 11 intercept possessions, 10 of which came in the first half.
Key Players to Watch
- Abbie McKay (Carlton) – midfield influence
- Mimi Hill (Carlton) – midfield performance
- Harriet Cordner (Carlton) – defensive intercept specialist
Summary: Coach Daisy Pearce is guiding West Coast to face their first AFLW final with a focused, composed mindset, emphasizing preparation and adapting to challenges rather than fearing them.