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Richmond legend Matthew Richardson says Daisy Pearce has been “singled out” by clubs who have banned her from rooms, pointing out a double standard in the decision.
Pearce has now been banned from entering the rooms of two clubs, Richmond and Brisbane, due to her dual role as a broadcaster with Channel Seven and as an assistant coach for Geelong.
While both clubs are adamant that the decision is not personal, Richardson pointed to a number of media figures who hold official roles at AFL clubs while also working as broadcasters.
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“Luke Darcy (also on Seven) is the footy director at the Bulldogs, Jimmy Bartel is on the board at the Giants, I don’t quite understand this one. I think it’s a bit over the top, to be honest,” he told 3AW’s Wide World of Sports Radio.
“I do a podcast (at Richmond). I don’t work in the footy department, but I could go down into the football department, which I don’t do.
“That’s what I’m saying, I don’t see why Daisy is being singled out here.
“I just don’t see why she’s being banned from rooms. I mean, there’s always been people with dual roles in this business, whether you think it’s right or not. There’s been plenty of media performers over the years that have also had roles at footy clubs, there’s plenty doing it now as we speak.”
Richardson, who works alongside Pearce on Seven’s coverage, explained how it’s incredibly unlikely for any broadcaster in the rooms to come across sensitive information.
“Having been in the rooms for a long time now … we’re generally down the other end of the rooms,” he said.
“You’re at a desk, you’re getting a couple of players up to have a nice Dorothy Dixer-type interview about how good the night was.
“You’re in the winning rooms, so it’s all about positivity, it’s all about what’s happened out on the ground and having a bit of fun with the players as well and letting them show their personalities.
“I don’t possibly see how you could be finding out anything that could help the footy club that you may work for during that week.
“Let me stress, as the host broadcaster, we are going nowhere near the coaches’ rooms where there is maybe stuff written up on the wall, information that you don’t want to get out.
“We’re in the actual changerooms where the players are icing up, family are mingling around chatting, there’s other broadcasters in there, radio stations, and everyone’s just having a good chat about the game.
“I just don’t see how anyone working in the media could be in there gathering information for the club you may work for.”
Richardson has been a regular media performer since wrapping up his 282-game career with the Tigers at the end of the 2009 season, and said he’d not once come across sensitive information while performing media duties inside the rooms.
“Not one (incident of gaining information) springs to mind,” he said.
“The only thing you might pick up is you might see a player icing up a joint.
“I’ve never walked out of there thinking, ‘Oh I’m going to tell someone’, I don’t even think it enters your mindset.”
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