North skipper Kearney’s AFLW All-Australian streak ends
Joanna Guelas |
Emma Kearney’s AFLW All-Australian streak has ended after the North Melbourne captain missed out on a spot in the extended squad.
The only player to earn the honour in each of the past eight seasons, Kearney was a notable absentee from the 42-player squad announced on Tuesday.
Kearney missed half of the Kangaroos’ minor premiership season after suffering a high-grade hamstring injury in her right leg in round five.
Before her injury the 35-year-old defender had appeared on track to earn her ninth All-Australia selection, having started her season with an average of 6.3 intercept possessions and 17.2 disposals a game.
Failing to overcome the injury for the qualifying final against Adelaide, Kearney will have an extra week to prove her fitness after the Kangaroos booked a preliminary final spot.
Kearney’s North teammate Jasmine Garner will be vying for her seventh All-Australian blazer alongside Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff after the star duo were both named.
Ash Riddell, Kate Shierlaw, Sarah Wright and Alice O’Loughlin were other Kangaroos in the extended squad.
Hawthorn dominated with six nominations including star recruit Eliza West, while Collingwood, GWS and the Western Bulldogs had no representatives.
Melbourne skipper Kate Hore and Essendon counterpart Bonnie Toogood, who were named All-Australian captain and vice-captain respectively last season, did not make the cut.
Instead, Bombers pair Georgia Nanscawen and Maddi Gay were handed their first All-Australian nod.
The Demons only had one nomination, defender Maeve Chaplin.
2024 ALL-AUSTRALIAN EXTENDED SQUAD:
Adelaide: Chelsea Biddell, Caitlin Gould, Ebony Marinoff, Danielle Ponter, Chelsea Randall
Brisbane: Ally Anderson, Sophie Conway, Isabel Dawes, Breanna Koenen, Taylor Smith
Carlton: Harriet Cordner
Collingwood: None
Essendon: Maddison Gay, Georgia Nanscawen
Fremantle: Aisling McCarthy, Emma O’Driscoll, Mim Strom
Geelong: Aishling Moloney, Nina Morrison
Gold Coast: Charlie Rowbottom
Greater Western Sydney: None
Hawthorn: Aileen Gilroy, Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Aine McDonagh, Jenna Richardson, Lucy Wales, Eliza West
Melbourne: Maeve Chaplin
North Melbourne: Jasmine Garner, Alice O’Loughlin, Ashleigh Riddell, Kate Shierlaw, Sarah Wright
Port Adelaide: Amelie Borg, Shineah Goody, Matilda Scholz
Richmond: Monique Conti, Eilish Sheerin
St Kilda: Jesse Wardlaw, Serene Watson
Sydney: Sofia Hurley, Brenna Tarrant
West Coast: Ella Roberts, Charlotte Thomas
Western Bulldogs: None
AAP