AFLW great Daisy Pearce makes a HUGE career move after trolls tried to abuse her out of her job commentating for Channel Seven

Daisy Pearce is taking the plunge and is set to assume control of the West Coast Eagles AFLW side in her first role as a head coach, as the club looks to turn their form around.

Pearce, one of the greatest players in the AFLW's short history, has been lured out of her role at Geelong, where she was a development coach, to take over from Michael Prior, who stepped down before the end of the 2023 season.

She will reunite with West Coast head of women's football Michelle Cowan, who in 2013 coached Melbourne, with Pearce as her captain, in an exhibition series played in the lead-up to the AFLW being launched in 2017.

'The decision to leave Geelong was a difficult one and I want to thank the Club for everything they have done for me over the last 12 months,' Pearce said.

'In a short time I learnt an enormous amount and have been surrounded by colleagues who I admire and feel so fortunate to have worked with.

'I'm excited to be a senior coach, particularly with this young Eagles team that has so much upside. 

'It has come at the right time for me and this a role and a move that my family and I are going to embrace.

'I feel a great sense of responsibility for shaping the right environment and adding to the good foundations that are already here to develop this emerging list of players. I can't wait to get started by playing a role during the remainder of the sign-and-trade period and at next week's draft.'

Peace's appointment to the role comes after Dani Laidley expressed interest in applying for the position with West Coast in October.

Laidley, 56, again indicated she might make a groundbreaking return to coaching with West Coast  last month.

'West Coast is the only club at the moment that don't have a coach for their women's team. There may be some other clubs in Melbourne as well who make a decision not to go with their coach,' said Laidley.

'It sounds like a good fit. But there could be some other things happening down the track. I'm just being prepared for any scenario.'

Pearce, who is also an expert commentator for the Seven Network, has received harsh treatment from some fans on social media despite her obvious talent behind the microphone.

In 2022, she was also involved in a spat with ex-AFL legends Dermott Brereton and Rex Hunt, with the latter accusing Channel Seven of 'ruining the game' by allowing her to commentate.

Last year, Pearce said she wouldn't let the haters bring her down.

'It's just two weeks of discussion, it kind of drains you of a bit of energy. Imagine how much more preparation I could have done for this weekend if I hadn't have been emotionally dealing with this drip by drip,' she said on SEN.

'Having your credibility questioned because you're a female isn't a new thing that I'm just starting to deal with. I'm pretty thick-skinned when it comes to that.'

Several clubs had tried to get Peace, with the Eagles among four looking for a new coach. While three of them - the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn and Collingwood - are in Victoria where Pearce resides, she's opted to head west.

Pearce takes charge of one of the worst-performed teams in the AFLW. The Eagles are yet to win more than two games in a season.

West Coast finished second last in 2023, winning just two matches, the second coming after Prior had stepped down.

Pearce is one of the most decorated AFLW players since the competition's inception, with three selections in the AFL Women's All-Australian team.

She was also named Melbourne best and fairest on three occasions before retiring in 2022.