Steering the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos through their first season – with the support of Mazda Australia – captain Emma Kearney proves passion is as crucial as talent when turning dreams into reality

 

Congratulations on an impressive first season with the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos. What was the highlight?

Our very first game at North Hobart Oval, made even better by a win over the [Carlton] Blues. 

What is it like captaining a brand-new footy team in a fairly young league?

It’s a huge honour captaining a new footy team, but it has its challenges; you have to quickly build relationships and create an environment where the girls feel welcomed and valued. The support for the women’s competition and our club, both publicly and in the corporate world from sponsors like Mazda, has really brought AFLW into the spotlight. You can’t be what you can’t see; it’s no wonder female participation has boomed since AFLW has expanded. It’s made more diverse role models visible and made sporting careers a more attainable dream for a lot of young women.

How do you balance your football career with your teaching career? 

With a busy schedule, organisation is key. I love playing footy and I love being a teacher, so I do need to make sacrifices here and there to keep it that way. But I am always careful to make sure I give myself some downtime, whether that’s cooking, spending time with friends and family, or wrangling my brand new Golden Retriever puppy, Archie.

What advice would you give to an aspiring football player?

Always focus on your strengths, and that applies to whatever you do in life. The world can be a negative place at times and people always want to focus on the negatives, so let’s flip that around. Of course, there are always times when we need to put some work in on areas that might require improvement, but I say you’ve got to back your strengths first and foremost.