AFLW Draft: Lucia Painter reveals her heart was always set on a move to West Coast Eagles with Daisy Pearce

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AFLW Draft: Lucia Painter reveals her heart was always set on a move to West Coast Eagles with Daisy Pearce

New West Coast player Lucia Painter’s heart was so set on landing at the Eagles she has already started planning a shift across the country.

And the club called her named out with pick seven in Monday night’s draft, making the Bendigo product’s footy dreams come true.

The powerhouse midfielder finished second in this year’s Coates Talent League best-and-fairest behind Ash Centra, who was taken by Collingwood with pick No.1 as part of a bumper crop of Victorians to go in the first round.

The Eagles also picked up South *********** utility Charlotte Riggs with pick 24.

Painter, who said she idolised her new coach and women’s football trailblazer Daisy Pearce, had her jumper presented by the Melbourne legend at Marvel Stadium on Monday.

“I had my fingers crossed the whole time going ‘please take me’,” Painter told The West *********** moments after being drafted.

“And then when my name was called out the family definitely got all up and about, I think we were the loudest family the entire time.”

Painter was so desperate to come to West Coast she had already begun planning her move, including reaching out to universities in Perth.

The eccentric 18-year-old has two **** lizards, who will be making the trip over with her.

“I said to Mum ‘I’ll leave on the 26th and I’ll make the drive with the dog in the back and the lizards in the boot I was planning it all my step sister would come with me, and she would fly back,” Painter said.

“I didn’t really think any other team was gonna take me, but I was just hoping for West Coast.”

Painter said she had met Pearce as a junior footballer and described the coach, who led the Eagles to their best-ever season in the competition, as an “absolute weapon”.

“She actually come out to one of my junior training sessions one time when I played for Sandhurst and I just absolutely adored her and just everything she’s been doing,” she said.

“I spoke to her earlier in the night, and I was like please give me a sign, it’s absolutely amazing.”

A powerful ball-winner, Painter says it would be “an absolute privilege” to play alongside Eagles young stars Ella Roberts and Bella Lewis.

Camera IconLucia Painter (Bendigo Pioneers, VIC) (C) arrives ahead of the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft. Credit: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos

“It just showcases how hard they’ve been working and it will definitely push me,” she said.

“I’ll just try to take on all their feedback and play alongside them and do whatever I can do, it’d be amazing if I got to play alongside them in the midfield.”

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