{"id":91026,"date":"2025-08-23T22:57:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T22:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/91026\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T22:57:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T22:57:09","slug":"the-moment-that-hit-home-for-former-north-melbourne-skipper-emma-kearney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/91026\/","title":{"rendered":"The moment that hit home for former North Melbourne skipper Emma Kearney"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of days before North Melbourne’s centenary celebrations at Docklands this year, Emma Kearney told Kangaroos AFLW coach Darren Crocker she was going to step down as captain this year.<\/p>\n

After six seasons as skipper, and taking her side to North Melbourne’s AFLW maiden flag, she would pass the baton on.<\/p>\n

The pair walked out carrying the 2024 AFLW cup among the men’s premiership cups hoisted by various club legends as the club celebrated 100 years in the VFL\/AFL ahead of a prime-time clash against the Western Bulldogs in round 17 of the men’s season.<\/p>\n

“To have that moment with him on the field, and he sort of just turned to me and said, Do you know Kearns, we’ll always be down as the first-ever captain coach [of the AFLW side],” Kearney told ABC Sport.<\/p>\n

“That was probably when it really hit home that Jesus, we have created history here.<\/p>\n

“And it’s probably not until I reflect on it in 10, 20 years’ time where you think, ‘Jesus, this is what we’ve been able to create, the first ever captain [and] coach’, but also [of a] premiership side, which is pretty special.<\/p>\n

“It was so nice to be able to share that little moment with just Croc.”<\/p>\n

\"Emma<\/p>\n

Emma Kearney captained North Melbourne to their first AFLW flag in 2024 after an unbeaten season. (Getty: Dylan Burns\/AFL Photos)<\/p>\n

The lead-up to the evening was marred somewhat by off-field drama, where some of the club’s 1975 premiership side boycotted the evening, due to not wanting to share the spotlight with the women’s team.<\/p>\n

“Two men weren’t interested in coming but all the other past players of the men’s team of the 75 grand final, they were so wrapped to see us there,” Kearney said.<\/p>\n

“They came up to us straight away and were blown away by how we played last season and were just so excited to see what we’re able to create at this footy club.<\/p>\n

“It was probably disappointing that there was two or three of the players that got a bit of attention, but the majority of them just loved us being there.<\/p>\n

“We’re part of history at this footy club. We’re the first women’s team to win a premiership there.”<\/p>\n

\"Emma<\/p>\n

Emma Kearney is a two-time premiership player after winning the flag with the Western Bulldogs in 2018 and North Melbourne in 2024. (Getty: Morgan Hancock\/AFL Photos)<\/p>\n

Kearney, an eight-time All Australian defender, is yet to play under new captain Jasmine Garner this season, having been sidelined with a calf injury.<\/p>\n

While she said not being captain anymore “does feel a little bit weird”, it’s been great to watch Garner jump into the role.<\/p>\n

The unique hangover cure bonding AFLW premiers for life<\/a><\/p>\n

North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner will have the added responsibility of guiding her side through the club’s premiership defence in her first season as captain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Plus, she’s excited for a season without the additional pressure that comes with being skipper.<\/p>\n

“I think being a captain, it actually takes a lot of your mental capacity away from you just preparing as an athlete,” Kearney said.<\/p>\n

“Whatever issues are happening, you sort of take on that load of responsibility being captain. There’s a lot that doesn’t just involve flipping a coin or the game speech. There’s a lot more to it.”<\/p>\n

Kearney first became a premiership player with the Western Bulldogs back in 2018, but left the club immediately to join the Kangaroos, who were coming into the competition as an expansion side in 2019.<\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

Emma Kearney was the inaugural captain of North Melbourne and handed over the reins to Jasmine Garner ahead of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

This time, although sidelined, she’ll be there for the unfurling of the flag, which the side is doing at its first home game of the season against Port Adelaide at Arden Street on Sunday.<\/p>\n

“It’s a hard one to put into two words, but I think it’s just a really special occasion for the football clubs and our fans,” Kearney said.<\/p>\n

“I think sometimes as players, we focus all our attention on getting ready to play the game \u2026 [but] it’s a special occasion to just have a quick reflection.<\/p>\n

“To be able to get that moment at our home, at a spiritual home with North Melbourne at Arden Street, it’s going to be special.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A couple of days before North Melbourne’s centenary celebrations at Docklands this year, Emma Kearney told Kangaroos AFLW…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91027,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,25912,64,63,55,639,52767,67557,67558,67555,67559,67556,85],"class_list":["post-91026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-aflw","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-emma-kearney","tag-flag-unfurling-north-melbourne","tag-kangaroos-aflw","tag-north-melbourne-aflw","tag-north-melbourne-centenary-celebrations","tag-north-melbourne-v-port-adelaide-aflw","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91026\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}