Western Bulldogs star Emma Kearney wins 2018 AFLW best-and-fairest player award
THREE days after kicking the sealing goal in the AFLW Grand Final, Western Bulldogs star Emma Kearney has blitzed the field to win the league’s best-and-fairest player award.
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EMMA Kearney had never won a league best-and-fairest.
After eight seasons, all that changed on Tuesday night.
The Western Bulldogs midfield star was voted as the best-and-fairest player of the AFL Women’s competition – the “icing on the cake” just three days after claiming a premiership.
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“The premiership was one of my best sporting highlights of my life,” Kearney said.
“Just to celebrate an event like that with 30 of your teammates … it was a really special occasion and to win an individual award in a premiership year is really special as well.”
Kearney polled a total of 14 votes, five clear of Docker Dana Hooker, emerging Magpie Chloe Molloy and Greater Western Sydney ballwinner Courtney Gum.
The 28-year-old notched her eighth season of football this year, having watched on as star Crow Erin Phillips collected the inaugural honour last year.
This was her turn.
“I’ve never won a league best and fairest before. For me, I always aspire to be the best player I can possibly be,” she said.
“I look up to the likes of an Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce and Chelsea Randall and look at what attributes they bring to the game. For me, it’s their leadership that they bring and I wasn’t in the leadership group for the Bulldogs but it was about improving my on-field work and bringing my teammates into the game and I think I was able to do that this year.”
Kearney collected more disposals than any other player this season, averaging 19 touches per game.
What made it extra special, she said, was being acknowledged by those in green.
“The standard answer would be that you don’t play team sports to win individual awards,” she said.
“It is really special to be recognised by the umpires, though. But I think for me, this individual award isn’t necessarily won by me, but the team as a whole.
“My improvement has been a result of the improvement of our team and the contributions from our other midfielders. It has actually helped in my performance.”
A change in profession from teaching – which Kearney described as a “rewarding” but “stressful” profession — to AFL coaching development had helped the Bulldogs midfielder, she said, with happiness off the field translating to her performances
Kearney also plays in the Women’s Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars, but said that she would have to wait and see how the fixture for AFLW03 is structured with two more teams entering the competition before she decides how and if she will attempt to split her time between the sports.
“I don’t want to commit to the Melbourne Stars if it means I have to stop playing halfway through the year due to footy commitments,” she said.
LEADERBOARD
Emma Kearney (WB) 14
Dana Hooker (Frem) 9
Chloe Molloy (Coll) 9
Courtney Gum (GWS) 9
Ellie Blackburn (WB) 6
Daisy Pearce (Melb) 6
Chelsea Randall (Adel) 6
Sabrina Frederick-Traub (Bris) 6
Ebony Marinoff (Adel) 6
Karen Paxman (Melb) 5
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