DAISY Pearce was a reluctant face of AFLW when it burst into the sporting landscape in 2017.
Reluctant, because publicity was something she never sought. It sought her.
"It has never become normal for me," Pearce says of her new high-profile football and media life in this week's In The Game with Damian Barrett.
Pearce is preparing to return to both football and midwifery, with the birth of twins Sylvie and Roy in February seeing her miss the 2019 AFLW competition as well as take leave from her hospital work.
"It's challenging and awesome at the same time," Pearce said of the celebrity component to her life.
"You don't plan for it. I had played the game all my life, but I went 27 years of my life with no one really caring, outside of my family and my footy club, knowing what that looked like or understanding what that meant.
"Then, not quite overnight, but the perception is overnight, women's football has a profile off me and some other players, so there was no time to prepare or know what was coming.
"Overall, it is an absolute honour and pleasure and privilege that we get these opportunities to be a role model. But it does take time to adjust to that side of it."
Daisy Pearce at the MCG as the 'boundary rider'. Picture: AFL Photos
Then there is the sexism.
"I think it has certainly gotten better, there are a lot of more opportunities for women, playing the game and working in the game in a whole myriad of roles, but I think it still exists," Pearce said.
"Overwhelmingly, the feeling has been positive. It is interesting – in the roles I have where I do have an opinion, now I don't feel like people need to agree with my opinion all the time, and I would hope they didn't.
"The great part of life is you have differences and discussions and that is what I love about the job, but there is an element of animosity that comes through when someone doesn't agree with my opinion."
DB: "Of a gender nature?"
"Yeah. People you come across in the streets, who have a chat to you face to face, it is a more balanced representation. Social media, as you know, is a dangerous world. It is part of our world now, undeniably. It is a powerful tool, you have to take the good with the bad but the bad is really bad.
"… when you speak to kids, they don't see gender, and they are being brought up in a time where it is a lot more equal, so if you extrapolate that out, it won't be different for them to see women involved.
"I guess that is how I get myself through this time. This is just our time. We are part of the change, and know that we are doing a bit to make it better.
"It is what motivates me a lot. I have times where I think, 'Am I cut out for this industry?', because I am shy and I don't thrive on the public side of it.
"… it is the fact I am making it easier for someone else that gets me through. When people say I wouldn’t know what I'm talking about, she's a terrible media presenter, the way I process that is I know I am not the best media presenter and I don't aspire to be.
"I guess my ambition is that there is some little girl sitting at home on her couch with her family, watching, and seeing me and think I could do that and do it better than Daisy, and if there is a little girl out there thinking that, then I feel I am doing my job."
Click here for Daisy Pearce on In The Game …
Find In the Game on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify
Episode guide
2:15 – The busiest person in football
3:20 – 'Challenging but awesome' being a trailblazer for AFLW
5:39 – Fame still doesn't feel normal
6:20 – Daisy's Carlton heroes
8:05 – The most common question at players signing day was…
10:04 – 'They don't see gender': The next generation normalising the women's game
12:25 – 'How bloody good' to play on a live broadcast
16:18 – Household names
16:51 – Back to football after pregnancy
20:16 – Has being a Mother changed your approach to playing?
24:02 – 'I still get anxious' to be on the commentary team
27:19 – Improving her media skills and career
29:34 – 'It's a bit of a penny-drop moment'
30:08 – Sexism in the AFL and the Gameday goal review 'sigh moment'
34:32 – 'When you cut through, it is that I'm a girl'
36:59 – Fighting inequality and hope for the future
40:07 – The differences between Daisy's twins
42:48 – A surprising assessment of her midwife job
