AFLW star Daisy Pearce has called Hannah Mouncey “a safety risk” while trying to defend the transgender footballer’s bid to play the women’s game at the highest level.
Pearce suggested that Mouncey’s size, combined with a limited skill level, could be used by coaches to cause pre-meditated physical damage to opposition players.
“I think there’s some concern about her size and whether that poses mainly a safety risk,” Pearce told SEN Breakfast on Friday morning.
“I don’t say this in offence to Hannah, but she’s not the most skilful player that will come into the competition, but for mine that almost poses more of a safety risk in that if you’re coaching someone who is in the mid-range in terms of skill, what’s the first thing you tell them?
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“They get picked to go out there and be physical. She’s not aggressive and doesn’t play in that way that she would intentionally go out to hurt someone.
“But if you’re getting told we’ll pick you if you go in there and throw your weight around, then that could pose a risk if it’s coached into her.”
Pearce had been trying to defend Mouncey’s right to play in the AFLW but finished up basically repeating sexist and poorly thought out arguments.
There are plenty of women of comparable size to Mouncey already in the AFLW, and with clubs often recruiting high-profile players from other sports rather than those with Australian Rules backgrounds, there are also plenty with lower skill levels.
The suggestion Mouncey could be recruited to the league for the sole purpose of hurting people is offensive to the competition, transgender sportspeople and most likely Hannah herself, and that Pearce would put it forward as a serious concern implies the Melbourne captain essentially opposes Mouncey’s bid.
Mouncey spoke earlier this week regarding people’s preconceived ideas about her size and the advantages it may give her on the field, saying medication she has used has lowered her strength and physical capabilities.
“There are medications people take to block testosterone and that reduces it to zero, so less than the women you’re playing against,” she told Mike Sheahan on Fox Footy’s Open Mike program.
“As a result, if you don’t have that you just can’t compete with men. I know I look big, but the lack of testosterone affects more than just strength. I’m nowhere near as strong as I look.
“The girls are, by and large, a lot quicker than me. Their endurance is better, their ability to jump is a lot better and their recovery is better because of my frame.
“It’s not a help in a lot of instances.”
Mouncey currently leads the VFLW goalkicking table with 12 majors from four games with the undefeated Darebin Falcons.