North Melbourne premiership captain Emma Kearney has revealed she may have only one season left in her brilliant career after leading the Kangaroos to a history-making triumph on Saturday night.
Kearney’s serious right hamstring injury dominated headlines in the lead-up to North’s grand final win over Brisbane, but it was actually a fresh calf strain on her left leg that threatened to stop her from playing.
Emma Kearney overcame a calf setback to captain North Melbourne in their premiership triumph.Credit: Wayne Taylor
Speaking to The Age at the Kangaroos’ euphoric celebrations at Arden Street on Sunday, she detailed how the calf setback prevented her from running for a week after the club’s qualifying final victory.
“It’s funny because the hammy [I injured in September] was completely fine,” Kearney, 35, said.
“I usually have a few calf issues when I start transitioning to boots, and my load goes up [but] this is usually at the start of pre-season. I knew that it might flare up at some point when my loads went up, and unfortunately, it went after the qualifying final.
Captain Emma Kearney and coach Darren Crocker led North Melbourne to their first AFLW premiership.Credit: Wayne Taylor
“I was pretty down in the dumps, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get up … but it pulled up really well [and] I was able to play limited minutes in that prelim.
“I was very clear in mind in the grand final. It didn’t even cross my mind at all about my hammy or my calf.”
Kearney described North Melbourne’s seven-season journey to this year’s flag, including losing last year’s grand final, as “really special”. They are the first expansion club to achieve ultimate success.
“We recruited to try to win a premiership from the get-go,” she said.
“We’ve had to change-over our list, bring in other talent, and bring in young players to replenish the ones we let go. To get success like this after all the hard work that not only the girls put in, but the staff, and everyone involved in the footy club, is pretty amazing.”
Kearney has worked as a development coach with the Kangaroos’ AFL team the past two years but has aspirations to coach in the AFLW once her playing career ends, which could be as soon as after the 2025 season.
“I’ve got one year left on my contract. I love this group, and I love playing,” she said.
“It helps that we train during the day now, not at nights, so that’s given me a lot more confidence that I can keep playing. I feel like I can still contribute at the highest level. It’s probably just whether I want to keep doing it mentally – but at this stage, I’ll play another year, then assess after that.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
