"You'd look better in the blue and white stripes."

That was Emma Kearney's message to Jasmine Garner as they shook hands after Kearney's Western Bulldogs defeated Garner's Collingwood by eight points in Round 5, 2018.

Kearney, the ultimate competitor, was already planting a seed to recruit one of the game's hottest young prospects for the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos' inaugural list.

"North was coming into the comp the next year. She's at the Bulldogs, but she obviously knew she was coming to North the following year already," Garner told NMFC Media.

"That year she dominated ... she won a premiership with the Bulldogs, she won the League best and fairest, but she was already planning for next year at North, and it kind of surprised me. 

"She was already thinking a season ahead and I'm glad I listened to her and eventually moved to North as well.

"It was still during the season, so I hadn't really had any talks with North, and then after that they got in contact with my manager and it all kind of made sense why she said that.

"I loved the way she went about it and I thought it'd be pretty cool to play alongside her."

The move for both players paid off.

Kearney became North Melbourne's inaugural captain for season 2019 and led the club to its breakthrough premiership in 2024, before deciding to step down as skipper ahead of the 2025 season so a new voice could lead the way.

That new voice was Garner, who also became a premiership skipper 12 months later, when the Kangaroos became the first team in AFLW history to go back to back.

Garner admitted she felt pressure taking over the reins, before her predecessor put her at ease.

"Taking over from 'Kearns', I felt a lot of expectation," Garner said.

"She's done an amazing job, and it was kind of like, 'Would I be able to do it?'

"But she sent me a lovely text (on the lines of): 'You're ready for this. This is yours, and you're gonna do a great job', and that just gave me the confidence.

"If Kearns says I can do it ... it gave me belief.

"We're a little bit different, but I didn't have to be like her, and that's fine."

However, Garner still sometimes leans on her former skipper for even the simplest of advice.

"Even with the toss, sometimes I'm always thinking, 'Oh, which way should I go? Which way should I pick?'

"And it sounds silly, but sometimes I'm like, 'Kearns, what do you reckon?'

"But also with the pre-game stuff where you have to talk, she's reminded me it doesn't really matter. 

"The girls are locked in anyway. It doesn't really matter what you say, you don't have to put pressure on yourself.

"She brought in two seasons ago that someone would tell a pre-game joke and I've kept that on because it was a good way to relax everyone and have a little bit of a giggle right before the first bounce. 

"I'll have my little say, but I know it doesn't have to be perfect, it's just whatever comes to mind.

"She's definitely helped me with that ... no pressure, just do me."