AFLW grand final hero's 'uncomfortable' confession

1 year ago 66

Melbourne has won its maiden AFLW premiership, defeating Brisbane by 4 points successful beforehand of 7,412 spectators astatine Brighton Homes Arena successful Springfield.

The Lions led for the bulk of the archetypal fractional but surrendered the pb to a courageous Demons broadside who held connected to triumph 2.7 (19) to 2.3 (15).

The upset triumph secured the club's archetypal premiership successful its five-year past and provided a shred of consolidation for its play six expansive last nonaccomplishment to Adelaide successful April.

Kicking the archetypal people of the match, the triumph could people the cleanable swansong for Melbourne skipper and AFLW's veteran, Daisy Pearce, who is yet to corroborate whether she volition play successful 2023.

Speaking post-match, an elated Pearce did not privation to sermon her aboriginal successful the game.

"I'm not reasoning immoderate further up than close now," she said.

"Don't marque maine adjacent deliberation astir it and rob maine of these moments. I'm conscionable so, truthful arrogant of this team.

"I've felt uncomfortable the full time. The communicative astir it being astir me. I consciousness similar it's a glorified happening that happens extracurricular these 4 walls.

"In here, each I get is the crap taken retired of me. I'm the butt of everyone's jokes, truthful there's nary coincidence that I support coming backmost and hanging astir with this group.

After Brisbane kicked the opening 2 goals, Pearce said determination were galore "great stories" hidden successful her Melbourne broadside that she wanted to triumph for, including longtime manager Mick Stinear.

Since the competition's inception successful 2017, lone Stinear and Brisbane mentor Craig Starcevich stay from the AFLW's 8 inaugural coaches.

"Mick Stinear is simply a world-class coach. He's an astonishing idiosyncratic and helium has conscionable built this programme from the crushed up," Peace said.

"We don't person the champion installation successful the comp, we're a spot off-Broadway. We're not the astir retired there, fashionable squad and we don't person each the bells and whistles, and we don't springiness distant cars to players that travel to us, but we've got the champion manager successful the contention who volition marque you a bully footballer.

"There were truthful galore bully examples retired determination today. Sarah Lampard's play - she was a subordinate that was astir apt a small spot connected the fringe and it was already arsenic if she was squeezing everything she could retired of herself - I deliberation she ended the play arsenic 1 of the champion wingers successful the comp. Impenetrable down backmost arsenic well.

"That's [Mick's work] and it takes a subordinate similar Lampy.

"I've ne'er heard him accidental nary to a player. If you've got the clip and tendency to get better, helium won't accidental no.

"The bloke lives successful Anglesea and he'll thrust up the road and conscionable you successful Geelong, travel and find you wherever you are successful your beingness truthful that you tin get a footy league in.

"He is perfectly the bosom of this team. I conscionable play for him."

Despite taking a two-point pb into the last term, Pearce said determination was ne'er a infinitesimal wherever she thought her squad was home. But she trusted the Dee's infinitesimal would come.

That's the large happening astir this squad – you can't bargain the belief, but with each the games we've played this twelvemonth and the positions we've had to triumph from we've recovered a way.

"To bash it today, to person to travel up present to Brisbane, and deterioration the disappointment of [losing the location final]. It lasted astir a nanosecond amongst this group. It was like, 'We don't care, we're playing successful a expansive last and we're going up determination to triumph it'.

"They invited the incorrect squad to the housewarming."

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