Eagles adopt ‘no surprises’ mindset before debut final
West Coast coach Daisy Pearce is preparing her players with a focused “no surprises” approach ahead of their first AFLW final against Carlton at Ikon Park on Saturday. The Eagles faced this same opponent just last week, adding an extra edge to their preparation.
Preparation and experience
During Wednesday’s training, simulated crowd noise filled the field as part of efforts to recreate the intensity of a finals environment. Pearce, drawing from her premiership experience with Melbourne, guided the team on how to stay composed under pressure and thrive in post-season conditions.
“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.
She stressed that maintaining consistency and focus matters more than overhauling tactics: stick to the values and gameplay that brought them to this stage. Pearce also reminded her players that challenges are an expected part of finals football.
“We’re going to be playing against a very good opposition, who we got a taste of 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 negotiate our way through them.”
Facing familiar opposition
The Eagles aim to overturn a 20-point loss to the Blues just eight days ago in round 12. Carlton’s win was driven by midfielders Abbie McKay and Mimi Hill, along with defender Harriet Cordner, who impressed with 11 intercept possessions, 10 of them before halftime.
“If you set the season right, you sort of don’t have to change a lot when you get to this point,” Pearce added.
Author’s summary
Daisy Pearce leads West Coast into their first AFLW final with calm focus, urging her team to embrace challenges and stay true to their game plan under pressure.