Channel Seven’s managing director Lewis Martin says the free-to-air broadcaster respects clubs’ decisions to ban commentator Daisy Pearce from their changerooms.
It comes after SEN's Sam Edmund revealed Brisbane was the second club in as many weeks to ban Pearce from the rooms ahead of its Thursday night game against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
Pearce, a champion of AFLW who won a premiership with Melbourne in her final game, took up an assistant coaching role with Geelong over the pre-season that has developed into a match day role.
It’s this title that has seen both the Lions and Richmond bar Pearce from the rooms.
Seven respects that clubs will have differing opinions but Martin added that no issues were raised over the pre-season.
“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,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“We’ll respect that and have a chat with Daisy this week. Without dismissing it, because it’s a football issue, it’s not really critical for us.
“We’ll respect various clubs. Some clubs may be different, some clubs talked to us about it (in the) pre-season, it wasn’t an issue at all.
“But I think what happens… once that first ball is bounced, when you’re dealing with clubs (in) pre-season compared to when the season is on, they become different beasts and we appreciate that, it’s a highly, highly competitive competition.”
Martin added: “Again 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.”
Carlton was prepared to allow Pearce into its rooms in Round 1, while the Western Bulldogs are also understood to have no issue this Thursday.
But Bulldogs director Luke Darcy is often placed in club rooms after games by Seven, while GWS director Jimmy Bartel has also worked for the network in years gone by.
But Martin believes its Pearce’s match day role with Geelong that sees her treated differently.
“I think it’s about the match day role…,” he responded.
“I don’t know by the way, I’m only guessing, Hock (Steven Hocking, Geelong CEO) and I spoke about this regularly in the pre-season as to how her role would evolve. But I think when you spend time with Daisy, I think you’re understanding of her knowledge and insight into the game, it becomes quite apparent.
“I could be wrong, but I think perhaps her role at Geelong has even evolved deeper as she’s spent more time there.”
Senior Richmond adviser Neil Balme has suggested the Tigers’ decision to keep Pearce out of their rooms was a sign of respect to her footy mind.
Pearce joined Geelong as part of the AFL’s Women’s Coach Acceleration Program on a four-year commitment back in February.
