DAISY PEARCE says the announcement of the AFL National Women’s League marks the start of an exciting new era in football.

Melbourne was one of eight clubs granted licences in the inaugural competition in 2017.

Pearce said while the introduction of a professional league was compelling for current athletes, it was even more exciting for girls aspiring to play football in the future.

“It’s great for me personally to have the opportunity to play elite sport out on an elite arena and in a professional environment,” she said at the MCG on Wednesday.

“But more so to look around today and see those little girls who will grow up knowing that’s something they can achieve is amazing.”

Women’s football has escalated rapidly since the inaugural AFL Women’s Exhibition Game in 2013.

A game between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs was televised for the first time in 2015, with the AFL later committing to a 2017 launch date for a national competition.

Pearce, who works at Melbourne as a graduate intern, said the development of the sport had been a “revolution”.

“I have to take myself out of the bubble that has been this amazing revolution over the last 18 months and realise how massive this is,” she said.

“Because I work here at Melbourne Footy Club and play footy every weekend, sometimes you have to take yourself out and reflect on how big this is.

“It’s the biggest code and biggest sporting body in the country and certainly in Melbourne it’s a big [part of the] fabric of Melbourne.

“To have the opportunity to play that sport means a lot to us girls.”

The AFL is yet to conduct a national draft for the upcoming series, with marquee players to be announced in the coming weeks.

But Pearce, who has captained Melbourne’s women’s team since the inaugural game in 2013, said she was determined to remain in the red and blue.

“There haven’t been any player signings yet, that won’t be for a few weeks,” she said.

“But I think it would be hard to get me to play anywhere else.”