Daisy Pearce has conceded West Coast are under pressure after their winless start to the AFLW season, but the Eagles coach says her side is embracing an uplift in expectations after their breakthrough finals appearance last year.
After finishing inside the competition’s top eight for the first time in 2025, Pearce’s side are yet to taste victory a third of the way through their follow-up campaign, having suffered losses in each of their first four games.
A 37-point defeat against second-placed Melbourne on Sunday left them sitting in 15th, already two wins adrift of a group of sides down to 13th with 2-2 win-loss records.
Having set a target of matching the six victories they secured last year after their loss to the Demons, Pearce said Saturday’s clash with another of the competition’s powerhouses in Brisbane at Mineral Resources Park would be the most important game of their season so far.
“We’re the youngest team in the competition. The fact that everyone believes in us and expects us to be doing better is a great thing that we welcome,” Pearce said.
“We’re just embracing it and doing our bit, which is trying to improve.
“It’s a short season, there’s pressure on every game.
“We know how valuable every week that comes and goes is. If we can get a result this weekend, we put ourselves right back in with a chance, because six out of eight is our equation for now.”
Pearce conceded taking on last year’s beaten grand finalists would be another “big challenge”, but said she was confident her side would be able to match Brisbane’s trademark running power.
“I think our work rate and ability to cover the ground is fine. As long as we take pressure off with better decision making and execution in offence and defend as a team, we’ll be able to run out the game with them,” she said.
“They’re up for the challenge. They enjoy going against the best.
“I think you saw on the weekend, someone like Ella (Roberts), she loves the challenge. I think you saw a good version of her, because she’s lining up against people she really admires and looks up to.
“That’s just one example, but the team themselves, they just want to play and they want to win. They believe that their best is good enough to beat anyone.”
The Eagles may welcome back Beth Schilling for their clash with the Lions. The key defender is approaching full fitness after spending more than a year on the sidelines, mostly due to a troublesome Lisfranc injury in her foot.
Pearce said she would have no reservations in calling up the 22-year-old to take on Brisbane, if she was able to get through main training on Wednesday morning without any issues.
“She’s worked really hard, Schillo. She had an outstanding 2024 season . . . and has fought really hard to get back with a fiddly foot injury,” Pearce said.
“She was really close (to playing) against Adelaide, then had a little quad setback.
“We’re talking about her every week and if she trains well today and gets through, she’ll be right up there for consideration.”
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