West Coast midfielder Bella Lewis says coach Daisy Pearce has not set Eagles definitive goal for 2025 season

Daisy Pearce is yet to set West Coast’s AFLW side a definitive goal for her second season in charge but midfielder Bella Lewis is confident the Eagles will continue to rise up the ladder in 2025. Having won only nine games across their first five seasons in the competition, the Eagles improved sharply in their first campaign under the guidance of Pearce in 2024, including in a brilliant start where they won three of their opening four games. Despite ending the year by losing six of their final seven contests, a 13th-placed finish saw them finish outside of the competition’s bottom four sides for the first time in their history. Speaking as part of the club’s community camp in the South West on Friday, Lewis said West Coast’s playing group were dreaming of a first finals appearance but Pearce had not yet made a top-eight finish a target. “I think the target is just to go as far as we can go,” she said. “We’ve got a group of our older girls who are really experienced and take us under their wing. “Then we’ve got that core group that are about 21, 22, 23 and hopefully hitting their prime in the next couple of years. To have that be where our main talent and stars (are), it’s really exciting. “Then you bring in the younger girls like Lou Painter, Jess Rentsch, those kind of girls who are going to be setting the standard for the next 10 years, it’s really exciting.” Lewis said she had no doubts her midfield running mate would continue her ascension into becoming one of the competition’s top players. “I think it’s inevitable for her, to be honest,” Lewis said. “I think the best part about her this year is that you wouldn’t know that she’s been All Australian and won the best and fairest. “She’s come back even more hungry to learn and get better and ask questions. I think to have that from someone as influential on the field is here and valuable for the girls.” Lewis said the club’s women’s side was excited to be in the South West for a weekend which will see the the Eagles be part of the first ever AFL game for premiership points played in regional WA, against North Melbourne at Bunbury’s Hands Oval. “Hopefully, eventually, they can scope it out to regional areas all over Australia,” she said. “It’s such a good opportunity for not just the kids, everyone in the South West loves it. People in the country are known for loving their football so much.” The Eagles’ women’s side will have an open training session at Bunbury’s Payne Park on Saturday morning, before the AFL team get an early look at Hands Oval for their captain’s run later in the day. West Coast players were spread throughout schools in the region on Friday, with Lewis, Amy Franklin and draftee Lucy Boyd at Australind’s Our Lady of Mercy College.