Pearce to join Dockers

Updated October 03, 2012 18:29:14

Port Adelaide will lose Danyle Pearce to Fremantle under the AFL's new free agency system.

The Power announced on Wednesday they would not match the Dockers' offer.

The Dockers put in a substantial restricted free agent bid for Pearce on Monday and the Power had three days to make a counter offer.

"We have taken time to think about the situation and have resolved that it would be irresponsible in the context of our team structure at Port Adelaide to match the offer put forward by Fremantle," Power football manager Peter Rohde said in a statement.

"Danyle has made a strong contribution during his eight years at Port Adelaide and we wish him well with his new opportunity in the AFL."

Pearce won the 2006 Rising Star award and since his 2005 senior debut had played 154 matches, including 20 appearances for the Power this season.

Richmond also made a restricted free agent offer on Monday for Power key defender Troy Chaplin but the club is yet to announce whether they will match that bid.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, port-adelaide-5015

First posted October 03, 2012 16:15:53

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Feature Interview: Danyle Pearce

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Peter Walsh and Roger Wills catch up with Power midfielder Danyle Pearce

Danyle Pearce has taken centre stage this week as the AFL celebrates Indigenous Round in Round 9.

Proud to represent the Indigenous community, Pearce this week highlighted the fact the racism in footy in not dead, revealing he was abused by a spectator while playing in the SANFL earlier this season.

However he has dealt with that issue through the SANFL and now is looking forward to helping his team get just their second win of the season when the host Fremantle on Saturday.

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Pearce: Racism not dead in footy

Port Adelaide winger Danyle Pearce says racism in Australian rules football is far from stamped out after being vilified by a spectator.

The Indigenous Australian Pearce says he was racially abused by a SANFL spectator when dumped from Port's AFL side last month.

Pearce, who also scoffed at speculation linking him to the new AFL entity Greater Western Sydney, says racism was yet to be eradicated from football.

"It kind of caught me by surprise but I dealt with it at the time and moved on," he said on Wednesday of being racially abused when playing for Sturt against the Eagles on April 15.

"There are some narrow-minded people and you just have pity for them, they are just speaking without any knowledge at all."

The AFL is staging its annual Indigenous round this weekend but Pearce says racism remains.

"I don't think it's 100 per cent dead," he said.

"But from where it was to where it is now, it's absolute tenfold different."

Pearce is contracted at Port Adelaide until the end next year but has an admirer in his ex-coach, Mark Williams, now an assistant at GWS.

Their relationship fuelled speculation the 25-year-old was headed to the Giants, which surprised Pearce who says he would definitely be at Port next year.

"I hear about the headlines and I'm about as shocked as the next person," he said.

"Footy is definitely a business and you weigh up your options when it gets to that point, but I'm still contracted for two years.

"To be honest, I haven't even thought past this week at the moment, I have only just got back in the side so I have to make sure that I play well."

Pearce blamed lapsed communication with coach Matthew Primus for his axing from Port's side for three matches last month.

"It wasn't motivation at all, it was just a different understanding, not the right understanding, of what exactly he was looking for," he said.

"The communication wasn't there, I wasn't exactly 100 per cent sure what he was looking for."

Primus has taken a hardline approach to Pearce and his senior colleagues, with Kane Cornes, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek and Jacob Surjan also dropped at stages this season.

"It was disappointing to be dropped and not contributing to the team as I'd like," Pearce said.

"I'm just really trying to work on what Matty wanted to see and hopefully I have done that.

"He just wanted to see a lot more speed around the ground, chasing the ball forward, chasing the ball back.

"And just show a lot of speed, which is my greatest strength, and he wanted to see a lot more of it."

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Racism in footy not dead: Port's Pearce

Updated May 18, 2011 14:40:00

Port Adelaide winger Danyle Pearce says racism in Australian rules football is far from stamped out after being vilified by a spectator.

The Indigenous Australian Pearce says he was racially abused by a SANFL spectator when dumped from Port's AFL side last month.

Pearce, who also scoffed at speculation linking him to the new AFL entity Greater Western Sydney, says racism was yet to be eradicated from football.

"It kind of caught me by surprise but I dealt with it at the time and moved on," he said on Wednesday of being racially abused when playing for Sturt against the Eagles on April 15.

"There are some narrow-minded people and you just have pity for them, they are just speaking without any knowledge at all."

The AFL is staging its annual Indigenous round this weekend but Pearce says racism remains.

"I don't think it's 100 per cent dead," he said.

"But from where it was to where it is now, it's absolute tenfold different."

Pearce is contracted at Port Adelaide until the end next year but has an admirer in his ex-coach, Mark Williams, now an assistant at GWS.

Their relationship fuelled speculation the 25-year-old was headed to the Giants, which surprised Pearce who says he would definitely be at Port next year.

"I hear about the headlines and I'm about as shocked as the next person," he said.

"Footy is definitely a business and you weigh up your options when it gets to that point, but I'm still contracted for two years.

"To be honest, I haven't even thought past this week at the moment, I have only just got back in the side so I have to make sure that I play well."

Pearce blamed lapsed communication with coach Matthew Primus for his axing from Port's side for three matches last month.

"It wasn't motivation at all, it was just a different understanding, not the right understanding, of what exactly he was looking for," he said.

"The communication wasn't there, I wasn't exactly 100 per cent sure what he was looking for."

Primus has taken a hardline approach to Pearce and his senior colleagues, with Kane Cornes, Chad Cornes, Steven Salopek and Jacob Surjan also dropped at stages this season.

"It was disappointing to be dropped and not contributing to the team as I'd like," Pearce said.

"I'm just really trying to work on what Matty wanted to see and hopefully I have done that.

"He just wanted to see a lot more speed around the ground, chasing the ball forward, chasing the ball back.

"And just show a lot of speed, which is my greatest strength, and he wanted to see a lot more of it."

- AAP

Tags: community-and-society, race-relations, sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, port-adelaide-5015

First posted May 18, 2011 14:33:00

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