Richmond legend Matthew Richardson has called out the treatment of Daisy Pearce, questioning why she has been “singled out” by AFL clubs refusing to let her into their changerooms.
Two clubs, Richmond and Brisbane, have denied Pearce access to their changerooms as a result of a 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.
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The change prompted the retired AFLW champion 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.
Because of her position as part of Cats coach Chris Scott’s coaching staff, the Tigers and Lions banned Pearce from their rooms while Channel 7 continued to broadcast from the inner sanctum.
But Richardson, who works alongside Pearce at Channel 7, said the fact fellow pundits Luke Darcy and Jimmy Bartel are able to come into the rooms while working in senior roles at rival clubs exposed a double standard.
“Luke Darcy (also on Seven) is the footy director at the (Western) Bulldogs, Jimmy Bartel is on the board at the (GWS) Giants, I don’t quite understand this one. I think it’s a bit over the top, to be honest,” Richardson told 3AW.
“I do a podcast (at Richmond). I don’t work in the footy department, but I could go down into the football department, which I don’t do.
“That’s what I’m saying, I don’t see why Daisy is being singled out here.
“I just don’t see why she’s being banned from rooms. I mean, there’s always been people with dual roles in this business, whether you think it’s right or not.
“There’s been plenty of media performers over the years that have also had roles at footy clubs, there’s plenty doing it now as we speak.”
Richardson also pointed out Channel 7’s post-match coverage takes place in the winning team’s changerooms far away from any meeting room where game plans or intel could be spotted or overheard.
“Having been in the rooms for a long time now … we’re generally down the other end of the rooms,” he said.
“You’re at a desk, you’re getting a couple of players up to have a nice Dorothy Dixer-type interview about how good the night was.
“You’re in the winning rooms, so it’s all about positivity, it’s all about what’s happened out on the ground and having a bit of fun with the players as well and letting them show their personalities.
“I don’t possibly see how you could be finding out anything that could help the footy club that you may work for during that week.
“Let me stress, as the host broadcaster, we are going nowhere near the coaches’ rooms where there is maybe stuff written up on the wall, information that you don’t want to get out.
“We’re in the actual changerooms where the players are icing up, family are mingling around chatting, there’s other broadcasters in there, radio stations, and everyone’s just having a good chat about the game.
“I just don’t see how anyone working in the media could be in there gathering information for the club you may work for.”
“Not one (incident of gaining information) springs to mind.
“The only thing you might pick up is you might see a player icing up a joint.
“I’ve never walked out of there thinking, ‘Oh I’m going to tell someone’, I don’t even think it enters your mindset.”
Channel 7’s managing director Lewis Martin believes it’s Pearce’s “match day role” with Geelong that has other teams concerned.
“I could be wrong, but I think perhaps her role at Geelong has even evolved deeper as she’s spent more time there,” Martin told SEN.
“My view was that we’d roll along with the season and as Daisy’s role at Geelong has become a bit more clear, then obviously there were going to be some clubs to respond to that.
“It’s not something we would force upon a club . . . because we’ve got so many options and Daisy’s insight on our broadcast is so valued, it’s not critical that she’s in the rooms, I guess.”
Lions coach sympathises with ‘conflicted’ Pearce
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said he sympathised with Pearce but wasn’t willing to take the chance of allowing a coach from a rival club into his team’s inner sanctum.
“I’m not deliberately targeting Daisy, but it’s no different … if one of my assistant coaches worked in the media and wanted to go into the rooms of another club, and they wouldn’t necessarily feel all that comfortable with that because you do see things and you do hear things,” Fagan said.
“I think you’re conflicted when you work as a coach and you work in the media. I think that’s a terribly difficult thing to manage.”
“The preference would be that we shouldn’t have to make the choice – I think that’s unfair on the clubs,” Fagan said.
“It doesn’t make any sense to me, and … I don’t want to have to worry about it.
“It’s your inner sanctum, the changeroom of a football club, and who knows what she might see or hear.
“I’d rather not take that chance, and I don’t want our people walking around on eggshells just because they’re worried about what someone may or may not see.
“I just hope it doesn’t turn into one of those things every year … is Daisy being let in or is Daisy not being let in?”
Fagan said the Pearce situation was different to that of former Lions star Luke Hodge, who also worked at matches for Channel 7.
“Hodgey just worked with us in the pre-season,” the Lions mentor said.
“He never actually worked with us in season, so he didn’t know what was going on internally once the pre-season was over, and even in the pre-season, he was a one-day-a-week guy.
“It’s pretty different to the more substantial role that Daisy’s playing at Geelong.”
