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The AFLW's reigning best and fairest winner Emma Kearney will head a five-player leadership group as North Melbourne plan for their debut season.

Reigning AFLW best and fairest winner Emma Kearney will captain North Melbourne in their inaugural season.

The former Western Bulldogs midfielder will lead a five-player leadership group, with Tasmanian native Britt Gibson named vice-captain.

Jess Duffin will be deputy vice-captain, while Emma King and Kaitlyn Ashmore round out the group.

Kearney, who played for Victoria and the Melbourne Stars, quit cricket earlier this year to concentrate on football.

"I'm so honoured and proud and I just have that feeling of overwhelming excitement and happiness," Kearney said.

"It's fantastic to know we've got great leaders around us and they all bring different attributes.

"We're all quite different, but not just in the leadership group, we've got a great group of girls that will be up-and-coming leaders themselves."

North have a joint AFLW licence with Tasmania and Kearney said Gibson's strong links would be important.

"She's originally from Tasmania and will bring a lot of passion to the team," Kearney said.

"It will be good to have a Tassie girl to provide that leadership for the girls based down there."

Kearney won the AFLW best and fairest by five votes and also played a crucial role in the Bulldogs' grand final win over Brisbane.

She ran down Ashmore with a tackle late in the last quarter and kicked a goal as the Bulldogs won by six points.