The moment Daisy Pearce broke the ice inside the Australian camp

August 2, 2026 — 1:40pm

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There are moments in sport that you know you’ll remember forever. Not because of the scoreboard, but because you were fortunate enough to be there when something changed forever.

Representing Australia in the first AFLW international match against Ireland is one of those moments.

To pull on an Australian jumper alongside some of the best footballers our game has produced is something I’ll never take for granted.

The football was always going to be exciting. Two proud sporting nations. Two different styles. Two teams desperate to create history. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d take away from everything that happened before the first ball was bounced.

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Walking into camp on Thursday felt a little like the first day of school. You leave the comfort of your club, your routine and the teammates you’ve built trust with over years, and step into a completely new environment.

You know everyone’s name before you arrive. You’ve watched them for years. You’ve planned against them, competed against them and admired them. But suddenly you’re all wearing the same colours, sitting in the same meeting room trying to work out where you fit.

I’ve spent the better part of the past decade trying to stop players like Chloe Molloy from impacting games. I’ve chased Courtney Hodder as she’s burst away from contests, tried to limit the influence of Ella Roberts as she’s........

© The Age