A decorated midfielder in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, Kearney won the league's best and fairest award while playing for the Western Bulldogs in 2018 and has captained North Melbourne since 2019.

[3] Kearney won her club's best and fairest award five times,[4] and she was a member of the 2016 grand final team that ultimately lost to the Darebin Falcons.

[3] That same year, she was selected by the Western Bulldogs with the tenth overall pick in the first national women's draft,[6] and played for the club in AFL-sanctioned exhibition matches through to the end of 2016.

[5] Making her AFLW debut in the club's inaugural match, in round one of the 2017 season against Fremantle at VU Whitten Oval, Kearney recorded a game-high 23 disposals on the night.

[5][9] In round six against Brisbane at South Pine Sports Complex, she gathered 30 disposals during the match, becoming the competition's first player to achieve the feat.

[10] At the end of the 2017 season, Kearney was listed in the All-Australian team and finished equal-first in her club's best and fairest count alongside Ellie Blackburn.

[11][12] Having re-signed with the Western Bulldogs during the trade period in May 2017,[13] Kearney enjoyed a standout individual 2018 season, winning the league's best and fairest and the AFL Coaches Champion Player of the Year (tied with Chelsea Randall from Adelaide) awards.

[28] As part of her move to play football for North Melbourne, Kearney accepted employment as sport and recreation coordinator at the club's community organization, The Huddle.