WHEN number one draft pick Daisy Pearce came off the ground after her best-on-ground performance at the MCG on Saturday, she said she was "ready to go again".
It came after leading Melbourne to a 35-point victory over the Western Bulldogs in front of 7,518 fans in the historic Women's Round game.
Pearce picked up 29 possessions in only an hour of football but deflected praise to teammate Chelsea Randall, who impressed with her overhead marking skills
"I was lucky enough to get the BOG, I'm not sure who voted on it, maybe the umpires … but every time [teammate] Chelsea Randall went near the ball [the crowd] went nuts," Pearce said.
"I think if it was crowd choice she would've taken the cake."
Bulldogs captain Aasta O'Connor, a teammate of Pearce's at the Darebin Falcons, heaped praise on Pearce.
"Daisy's a fantastic leader. We're not professional footballers, but the way Daisy prepares is inspirational for us all. She's my captain at Darebin and I'm just happy when I'm playing for the Falcons that she's on my side," O'Connor said.
Asked if getting a win on the night was secondary to the occasion, O'Connor hesitated.
"We're all in the business of winning. You play footy to go out there and win but look … it's a fantastic thing for women's footy," she said.
"I think we've won the hearts of those at the AFL."
This included AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick, who spoke in the rooms after the game about his surprise at the talent and passion on display.
The girls were left confident that the likes of Fitzpatrick would become ambassadors for a game short on financial support, but not on enthusiasm.
"It's something I'm sure in the future will continue … hopefully it's something I can tell my daughters and granddaughters about in the years to come," O'Connor said.
Long-time women's footy advocate and Melbourne coach Michelle Cowan was also confident about the sport growing into the future.
Cowan paid tribute to "all the girls who came out to play," saying they had achieved their goal of showcasing to Australia women have to offer.
"It was the highlight of my whole coaching career," Cowan said.
