The Age can reveal that after an extensive process,Essendon offered Pearce the position of being the club’s inaugural AFLW coach. The Bombers confirmed that Pearce,after much consideration,turned that offer down.
Now Pearce appears likely to help Scott chase the Cats’ first premiership since 2011 as part of the AFL’s accelerated coaching program,which is designed to fast-track female coaches.
She would not be the first female assistant coach for a men’s AFL team;Peta Searle was a development coach at St Kilda in 2014 before taking the reins of the Saints’ AFLW team.
Pearce,33,is already a pioneer for the women’s game as a player but she now has the chance to forge a path for ex-AFLW players to coach AFL at the highest level.
The accelerated program promises that successful applicants will be employed for two years and be exposed to all elements of coaching including match committee meetings,game day roles and mentoring within clubs.
The positions are co-funded by the club and the AFL,with exemptions in the soft football department spending cap during the two-year period,with six female coaches to be employed across the competition.