Emma Kearney believes North Melbourne can make an instant impact in its first AFLW season

North Melbourne AFLW captain Emma Kearney admits she was a little nervous about being the first big name to sign at the expansion club but is now rapt with the list the Kangaroos have put together. How far can they go in 2019?

North Melbourne AFLW captain Emma Kearney is confident the club has assembled a list that can make an instant impact in its first season.

The Kangaroos recruited a string of prized signings ahead of their debut in the AFLW competition next year when they join Geelong as one of two expansion clubs in the 10-team league.

Last season’s AFLW best-and-fairest winner Kearney (Western Bulldogs) headed the list of established players to join the Tasmania-linked Kangaroos, including ex-Magpies Mo Hope, Jess Duffin, Emma King and Jasmine Garner and Kaitlyn Ashmore from the Brisbane Lions.

“We’ve built a really strong list to get the job done,’’ Kearney said.

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“You’re a bit nervous when you’re the first one to sign and you’re not sure who else is going to sign.

“But I was confident the work that North Melbourne have done for women’s footy, we were always going to get really strong players.’’

While eight rival teams have had a two-year head start on the Kangaroos, Kearney did not consider their late arrival to the competition to be an issue.

Recruits Kaitlyn Ashmore and Mo Hope at North Melbourne training. Picture: Michael Klein

“There is always heaps of changeover with the women’s list,’’ Kearney said.

“I know last season at the Bulldogs we had I think 11 new players and we were able to win the flag.’’

But one challenge facing the Kangaroos has been integrating the team’s seven Tasmanian-based players into their pre-season preparations.

“We’ve got our girls based in Tasmania so we don’t see them as much, but the club is really doing a mountain of work so those girls down there feel really integrated,’’ Kearney said.

“The leadership group has decided that one of us will go train down there every Saturday so we get that connection with them.

Emma Kearney won last season’s AFLW best and fairest. Picture: Andrew Tauber

“We have got our pre-season camp coming up soon, too, so that’s a really good opportunity for us to really bond together.’’

North Melbourne announced on Friday its long-time partnership with Mazda would now extend to its AFLW team.

Originally published as Emma Kearney believes North Melbourne can make an instant impact in its first AFLW season