The Brisbane Lions have become the second AFL club to close its doors to popular football commentator Daisy Pearce.
The AFLW champion was earlier this month denied access to Richmond’s changeroom as a result of her conflict of interest.
Pearce last year was appointed to be an assistant coach with the Geelong men’s team — somewhat compromising her ongoing TV work with Channel 7.
The change prompted Pearce to switch her regular appearances for the network from the Friday night prime time slot to Thursday nights, where she features as an expert analyst.
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Because of her position as part of Cats coach Chris Scott’s coaching staff, the Tigers banned Pearce from their rooms while Channel 7 continued to broadcast from the inner sanctum.
Now the Lions have followed the Tigers’ lead.
According to The Herald Sun, Brisbane has informed Seven Pearce will not be granted permission to enter the club’s changeroom before or after the club’s Thursday night clash with the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
Carlton in Round 1 gave Pearce standard permission to feature alongside Channel 7 colleagues inside its dressing room. Pearce did not feature on Channel 7 in Round 2 when the Cats lost to the Blues in a Thursday night blockbuster.
According to SEN, the Bulldogs will also grant Pearce full access to its dressing room on Thursday night.
Richmond adviser Neil Balme last week said it was impossible for Pearce to do both jobs and defended his team’s position.
“It probably seems a bit unkind,” Balme told SEN.
“But it’s just a thing that you don’t really want assistant coaches from other clubs hanging around rooms after games to see what they can find out.
“I know I’d trust her to the point that it’s not what she is there for.
“But you can’t do both jobs, so I think it’s reasonable of us to say that.
“It’s certainly not personal.”
Pearce captained the Demons to a premiership and finished her AFLW career with 55 games.
Pearce led the Demons for their first two seasons in the AFLW competition before she stepped away in 2019 to give birth to her twins, Sylvie and Roy.
She returned in 2020 to lead Melbourne through four more seasons, bowing out on a high with the Dees’ first flag in a nailbiting finish against Brisbane in November.
Pearce was selected for the All-Australian team on three occasions, starring in the midfield and at halfback before she shifted forward in her final two seasons to great effect, claiming her third AA gong in the early 2022 season.
She won three Melbourne best-and-fairests in 2017, 2018 and the first 2022 season.
Pearce’s new commentary role comes as part of a raft of changes at Seven.
