Emma Kearney jokingly wonders whether North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker is deliberately avoiding one of the AFLW's fiercest and most vocal competitors.
The North Melbourne great has used her six-week hamstring lay-off to spend time in the coaches' box. Kearney already works in North's AFL program and wants to coach once her outstanding playing career ends.
"Since I've been in the coaches' box, he (Crocker) has been coaching down at the bench, so not sure if that's a coincidence," Kearney told AAP.
"What I will say is, as much as I'm not a calm player - I like to play on the edge - I'm actually quite a calm spectator. That's quite surprising to some of our players.
"I do like the fact that I am a calm watcher, which hopefully will put me in good stead when I get into coaching. But I can't say the same for me as a player."
Kearney will need plenty of sideline "zen" this Friday night when third-placed Adelaide host the ladder-leading Kangaroos at Norwood Oval.
With only one more match until the finals, it is a preview of coming attractions.
As much as the Roos are in hot form, so is Crows star Ebony Marinoff, and Kearney says they must try to quell her influence.
Kearney is roughly midway through her injury rehabilitation and is back running, but unsure when she will return.
While she hopes to be back for the finals, the half-back is mindful of advice from retired Geelong great Joel Selwood.
He visited the Kangaroos in his AFL football operations role, not long after Kearney suffered easily the worst injury of her football career.
"The first thing Joel said to me was 'do not come back earlier than you think'," Kearney said.
"He said he regretted getting back too early when he did his (ankle) in a finals series (2017).
"I'm well aware that our team is playing really well without me there. But I don't want to have a recurrence of this injury - I want to be fresh and able to play at my best when I return."
While rapt with North's form, Kearney also admits the injury has been a mental test.
Something as mundane as taking her dog for a walk has become a Q-and-A in Kearney's head about whether it might affect rehab.
Kearney is 35 and is contracted to the end of next season, so it's a reminder of her playing mortality.
"I hope it's not me at 35. There are various factors," she said of her injury.
"I haven't had a soft-tissue (problem), I haven't had a long-term injury playing. I've been quite lucky.
"It's disappointing. I felt like I was actually playing probably my career-best footy off half-back.
"But the girls are playing really well, so it's kind of nice just sitting back and watching them do their thing."
