Kearney was named as a defender in the 21-player honorary team.
Also at Tuesday night's W awards, Port Adelaide onballer Hannah Ewings was named the season's Rising Star.
Kearney, 32, won the league's 2018 best-and-fairest award while playing for the Western Bulldogs and also was a key member of their premiership team that year.
Kearney switched to the Kangaroos when they joined the league in 2019.
This year she marshalled the North defence off half-back as they reached the preliminary final where they lost to Melbourne last weekend.
Teammate and star midfielder Jasmine Garner made her fifth-straight All-Australian team, while Adelaide midfielder Ebony Marinoff also was picked for the fifth time.
Garner was named captain and Brisbane defender Bre Koenen the vice-captain.
Grand final hosts Brisbane and last season's premiers Adelaide led the selections with four players apiece.
There were 10 first-time selections, but controversially Western Bulldogs ruck Alice Edmonds was not among them despite her breakout season.
Asked earlier this month what would happen if Edmonds was not picked, coach Nathan Burke replied "there will be hell to pay".
Selectors instead went with Carlton's Breann Moody as the ruck as she made her second All-Australian team.
Essendon midfielder Maddy Prespakis and her younger sister, Geelong sister Georgie, are the first siblings to make an AFLW All-Australian team.
Other prominent names in the original 40-player squad who missed final selection included Fremantle's Kiara Bowers, North Melbourne onballer Jenna Bruton and Western Bulldogs captain Ellie Blackburn.
Ewings played all 10 games in Port's inaugural AFLW season after she was taken with the third pick in the 2022 national draft.
She polled 41 votes to easily win the award ahead of teammate Abbey Dowrick's 22.
Rounding out the top three was another expansion team player, with Hawthorn's Jasmine Fleming polling 17.
Melbourne players, including captain Daisy Pearce, sat in a separate room at the vote count ahead of Sunday's grand final as a COVID-19 measure.
The function at Crown Casino was being capped with the vote count for the AFLW best and fairest player award.
ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM
Backs: Chelsea Biddell (Adel) Bre Koenen (Bris, vice-captain) Elish Sheerin (Rich) Katie Lynch (WB) Emma Kearney (NM)
Midfielders: Anna Hatchard (Adel) Monique Conti (Rich) Georgie Prespakis (Geel) Breann Moody (Carl) Jasmine Garner (NM, captain) Ebony Marinoff (Adel)
Forwards: Kate Hore (Melb) Jesse Wardlaw (Bris) Maddy Prespakis (Ess) Courtney Wakefield (Rich) Chloe Scheer (Geel)
Interchange: Olivia Purcell (Melb) Natalie Grider (Bris) Amy McDonald (Geel) Chelsea Randall (Adel) Greta Bodey (Bris).
RISING STAR
1. Hannah Ewings (PA 41 votes
2. Abbey Dowrick (PA) 22
3. Jasmine Fleming (Haw) 17
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