Bash and crash of AFLW is part of its appeal
Society has told us girls that we should be careful, pretty and polite. Playing football gives you a platform to explore other qualities such as strength and aggression.
Daisy Pearce is the captain of Melbourne's AFL Women's team and writes columns for Fairfax Media.
Society has told us girls that we should be careful, pretty and polite. Playing football gives you a platform to explore other qualities such as strength and aggression.
We AFLW players expect our performances to be critiqued. But remember, in terms of professionalism and what should be expected of her, Collingwood's marquee forward Moana Hope is more Peter Hudson than Buddy Franklin.
Last Saturday night, for the first time ever, I felt a sense of normalcy as I pulled on the Melbourne jumper. Not in the form of complacency, but a familiarity in my single-mindedness.
To set the scene, it's 3.16am on Sunday, I've got my foot in a bucket of ice at the kitchen table and after trying all my tricks for trying to get to sleep (eat, meditate, stretch, read book, repeat) I've decided to put the post-match buzz to good use and get some words down. These night games are a killer!Â
This time last week we were all poised with bated breath. Sports fans, parents of young daughters, advocates for gender equality and even those who had taken a sceptical view on women playing AFL waiting to see how the weekend would unfold.
Fairfax Media columnist Daisy Pearce makes her writing debut ahead of the opening AFLW round.
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