Scheduling clash between cricket and AFL to cost cross-code star Emma Kearney tens of thousands of dollars

EMMA Kearney concedes it’s likely she will miss this summer’s national one-day cricket competition, forfeiting a massive pay cheque to play on in the AFLW.

Emma Kearney in action for the Bulldogs.

DUAL sports star Emma Kearney concedes it’s likely she will miss this summer’s national one-day cricket competition, forfeiting potentially tens of thousands of dollars, after a fixture change now sees the WNCL clash with AFLW.

Australia’s premier women’s one-day cricket competition - the Women’s National Cricket League - will be played in three blocks from October 6.

The final round is scheduled to be played on the weekend of February 16, at the conclusion of the Women’s Big Bash League, and the final on February 24.

CA said the fixture “provides Australia’s elite women cricketers with the best preparation ahead of their key international schedules”.

AFLW is expected to start in late January and end with a March grand final.

Emma Kearney in action for the Bulldogs.

Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association are continuing to negotiated a new pay deal for their players with CA’s proposal set to increase the average wage for its female state stars who play both WNCL and WBBL to $52,000.

Kearney is confident she can still play WBBL, but if she doesn’t play WNCL, she would forfeit an average base wage of $23,000 as well as match payments and a potential share in $258,000 prizemoney.

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Kearney, who earned about $12,000 from football this season, had a brilliant AFLW debut with the Western Bulldogs and said wants to keep playing.

State cricket contracts have yet to be assigned because of the stalled pay negotiations.

Kearney has been in talks with Victorian coach David Hemp and Bulldogs coach Paul Groves about making it work.

She was confident she could continue to play AFLW and in the Women’s Big Bash League with Melbourne Stars, but admitted playing in the one day competition might be too difficult.

“The Big Bash and AFLW is no issue ... it’s the WNCL though, that’s the issue,” Kearney said.

“There’s nothing I can do about it — the AFL’s in a cricket space in terms of playing during the summer.

“Cricket Australia are trying to enhance women’s cricket and making the one-day format a lot better and in line with the men’s cricket.

“It’s a difficult position to be in at the moment. Money doesn’t play a huge role in my decision, but it certainly has an influence and with Cricket Australia’s announcement of the new contracts, it’s significantly larger than what I would get playing AFLW alone.

“Probably in the next couple of weeks I’ll make a decision ... I guess at this stage it’s more likely that the one day format, I won’t be available to play if I was given a contract.

“I’m confident I’ll still be able to play cricket and footy at a high level, but it’s just a matter of how many formats of cricket will I be able to play.”

Originally published as Scheduling clash between cricket and AFL to cost cross-code star Emma Kearney tens of thousands of dollars