Eagles Embrace ‘No Surprises’ Mindset Ahead of First Final
West Coast coach Daisy Pearce is preparing her players for a “no surprises” approach as they face their first-ever AFLW final against Carlton at Ikon Park on Saturday. To simulate match conditions, crowd noise was played through loudspeakers during the Eagles’ training session on Wednesday.
Pearce, drawing from her experience as a Melbourne premiership player, is educating the team about the nuances of finals football:
“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.”
She highlighted the importance of focusing on what brought the team success throughout the season:
“But they’re just little one percenters. The main thing is just stick to what got you there and playing the moment.”
Pearce acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponent, whom they recently faced:
“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.”
She emphasized the value of consistent preparation:
“If you set the season right, you sort of don’t have to change a lot when you get to this point.”
The Eagles aim to overturn a 20-point loss to Carlton from round 12, where the Blues' key performers included midfielders Abbie McKay and Mimi Hill, along with defender Harriet Cordner, who recorded 11 intercept possessions, 10 in the first half.
Author’s summary: West Coast coach Daisy Pearce fosters a calm, prepared mindset to help her team tackle their first AFLW final by embracing pressure and focusing on consistent performance.