Brisbane coach Chris Fagan feels SORRY for Daisy Pearce after banning her from Lions’ dressing sheds

Lions manager Chris Fagan has expressed solidarity with ‘conflicted’ TV commentator Daisy Pearce, who was banned from the Brisbane dressing room because she is also part of Geelong’s coaching staff.

The Channel 7 commentator will not be allowed into the Lions’ “inner sanctum” to interview the players after Brisbane’s game against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

‘I’m not deliberately aiming for Daisy, but it’s no different […] if one of my assistant coaches worked in the media and wanted to walk into the halls of another club, and they wouldn’t necessarily be as comfortable with that because you see things and hear things,” Fagan said.

“I think you are in conflict when you work as a coach and you work in the media. I think it’s a terribly difficult thing to handle.

The Lions are the second club to ban Pearce from their locker rooms, following in Richmond’s footsteps.

“The preference would be that we didn’t have to make the decision, I think that’s unfair to the clubs,” Fagan said.

‘It doesn’t make any sense to me, and […] I don’t want to have to worry about that.

It’s your inner sanctum, a football club locker room, and who knows what she might see or hear.

“I would rather not take that risk, and I don’t want our people walking on eggshells just because they’re worried about what someone might or might not see.

‘I just hope it doesn’t turn into one of those things every year […] Is Daisy let in or is Daisy not let in?

Fagan said Pearce’s situation was different to that of former Lions star Luke Hodge, who also worked on matches for Channel 7.

“Hodgey just worked with us in the preseason,” the Lions mentor said.

“He never worked with us in the season, so he didn’t know what was going on internally once preseason was over, and even in preseason, he was a one day a week guy.”

“It’s quite different to the bigger role Daisy is playing in Geelong.”

Channel Seven Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin remains unconcerned about Brisbane and Richmond’s stance, saying the broadcaster expected some clubs to take action on Pearce’s role in Geelong throughout the season.

The AFLW icon (left) is part of Channel 7’s commentary team for the AFL this season

Pearce is also part of the Geelong coaching staff after joining the Cats as part of the AFL Women’s Coaches Acceleration Scheme.

“Without dismissing it, because it’s a football issue, but it’s not really critical for us,” he told SEN on Tuesday.

‘We respect various clubs. Some clubs may be different, some clubs talked to us in the pre-season and it was not a problem at all.

“There have been previous TV and radio commentators on Fox and Seven who have had club roles.

It is not critical that she is in the rooms.