Emma Kearney has opened up about the tremendous strain that she was under while playing both football and cricket.
In one of the games of the season against Adelaide in Round 3, Kearney, with white zinc streaked across her nose, had the audacity to kick out to herself in the goal square, feint left, and then step around 2017 AFLW best and fairest winner Erin Phillips, before taking a bounce, running 20-metres and launching the ball clear of the Dogs’ defensive 50.
With five minutes to play in the AFLW grand final, Kearney’s rundown tackle on Brisbane’s Kaitlyn Ashmore sealed the premiership for the Dogs. Ashmore, one of the competition’s best runners, accelerated away from a stoppage in her defensive 50, only to be caught and bear-hugged by Kearney.
The set shot, from 30-metres out on a slight angle, was no gimmick, especially with a wet ball. Kearney kicked it to put the Dogs ahead by 12 points, then jumped on teammate Ellie Blackburn, who held her aloft while she pumped her fist and screamed “come on” at the top of her lungs.
With Kearney’s decision to prioritise her football already made, the Herald Sun reported that the AFL was considered a fixture comprised of six home-and-away games and two finals – despite North Melbourne and Geelong entering to expand the competition to ten teams.
“Seeing the fixture, I was quite disappointed,” Kearney said.
News of the AFL’s proposal was met by similar disappointment from other AFLW players, led by Melbourne’s Daisy Pearce. Pearce said that although the proposed competition is being billed by the AFL as an elite women’s competition, it is really a “gimmicky tournament”.
When Kearney found out, she messaged her mum in disbelief: “That’d be right. The AFL decides to shorten their season when I decide to quit cricket.”
“It’s not great if pre-season is longer than the actual season. We want to play more games at a higher level,” she said.
The AFL has since confirmed that teams will play six home-and-away games before two weeks of finals. Although the AFLW fixture made Kearney think twice, she knew her original decision to quit cricket was the right one.
“I think I’m gonna be happier when I’m not playing,” she says, before adding that she’ll mostly miss the downtime between balls and between innings, and in her words, “talking absolute rubbish”.
That rubbish included the odd sledge, though she always feared seeing the ball disappear for six soon after. In footy, Kearney says she’s “pretty mean”.
“I’m willing to say anything to put ‘em off. I tend not to sledge Daisy, though,” she said.
Kearney accepted the role of sport and recreation co-ordinator at The Huddle – North’s not-for-profit community arm – when she moved to the club. It’s hard to imagine the spectacled, smiling former school teacher sledging anyone.
Despite her own decision, Kearney says young girls probably won’t be forced to choose between codes by sporting bodies until they’re paid more.
“For me, women’s sport isn’t quite at that level where you can leave your career. When they pay enough, they’ll have the right to say, ‘Nah, you have to commit.’”
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