Nova Peris quits Senate race

Labor is scrambling to find a new Senate candidate in the Northern Territory after the sudden resignation of Nova Peris.

It is understood the Olympian and first Aboriginal woman in federal parliament is being considered to replace the AFL's head of diversity Jason Mifsud.

Senator Peris said she had never envisaged being a career politician and decided to quit at the July 2 election after talking to her family.

"As the first Aboriginal female in federal politics ... I certainly had challenges, but none that I couldn't handle or was not prepared for, having already lived a very public and documented life," she said in a statement on Tuesday.

Labor leader Bill Shorten said the party would go through its selection processes in coming days.

"Nova Peris is a distinguished territorian and distinguished indigenous Australian," he said.

"She achieved history in the Senate and on the running track."

Suggestions that Senator Peris had been sacked were "complete rubbish", Mr Shorten said.

One name being mentioned as the replacement is journalist Malarndirri McCarthy, who represented Arnhem in the NT Assembly from 2005 to 2012.

Ms McCarthy achieved almost 74 per cent of the two-party preferred vote at the 2005 election and was appointed families minister.

Senator Peris became Australia's first female indigenous federal politician in 2013 after a controversial call by then prime minister Julia Gillard.

The "captain's pick" was derided as paternalistic and tokenistic, and elbowed out veteran senator Trish Crossin.

Senator Peris won Olympic gold playing hockey for Australia in 1996 at the Atlanta games.

The AFL said a number of "high-quality candidates" had put their hands up for the diversity role.