“Ya know Daniel’s got a little sister who’s pretty handy at soccer!”
It was 2008, and I was at Subiaco Oval watching my team West Coast Eagles being edged out by Sydney Swans.
The comment was made by a guy sitting in the row behind me and marked the first time I was ‘introduced’ to Sam Kerr who would then have been 15 years old.
‘Daniel’ is Sam’s big brother, who starred for the Eagles from 2001 to 2013, playing 220 games and winning the 2006 AFL Premiership.
The next day, upon catching up with my family just outside Fremantle, being a football fan of the round ball variety, I asked them what they knew about ‘Daniel Kerr’s little sister.’ “Ah yeh, she’s some teenager who’s going to be playing with Perth Glory next season.”
Fast forward 11 years and having watched Kerr play for Perth Glory in person for years and then the Matildas regularly at ungodly hours back in England, the news broke that she would be moving a lot closer to where I’m based.
In November 2019, to great media fanfare, Kerr announced that she would join Chelsea in the FA Women’s Super League. Kerr made her debut in January 2020 and was part of the team that won the Continental Cup and FA WSL title, with her first Chelsea goal coming via a header in the Blues’ 4-1 win at Arsenal.
Early in the 2020/21 season, Kerr was subjected to vicious online abuse – her “crime” was apparently not scoring enough goals. The keyboard warriors seemed to take as gospel spoon-fed criticism by English women’s football pundits such as Rachel Finnis Brown. It just showed how unaware English fans were that the Western Australian’s skills extend far beyond goalscoring. Indeed, in her first forty-nine caps for Australia, Kerr had “only” scored eight goals.
Kerr had built up a great understanding with Beth England before the Lionesses star underwent surgery and missed much of the early season. In the period that she was receiving the online abuse, she had scored three goals in five FA WSL games – hardly the form of an inferior player. Chelsea and the FA WSL in general now had a gem in their ranks and it was only a matter of time before Kerr found her place in the new Chelsea side.
Indeed, as we reached the end of 2020, English fans began to see the explosive pace and incredible aerial power that those of us who have watched Kerr’s career from her teenage days are so familiar with. A typical poacher’s hat-trick against West Ham United at the beginning of December meant Kerr celebrated Christmas on a run of five goals in three games. Finally, the wider FA WSL were beginning to recognise the Queen of East Fremantle’s talents.
If the end of 2020 was impressive, Kerr’s 2021 was off the scale as those critics were forced to not only eat their words but also forcibly regurgitate them. Her partnership with Fran Kirby exploded to maximum impact as the pair became one of the deadliest partnerships that women’s football has seen. A total of 28 goals in 34 games satisfied the critics, but what marked her out as a true star was that Kerr also led Chelsea in assists for the campaign.
The number 20 is so much more of a complete player than at any other time over the past decade. Kerr pops up in defence during the course of normal play, and has built up a technically brilliant understanding with Erin Cuthbert as the pair interchange and build together in the midfield. Kerr and the Scottish star are also as thick as thieves off the pitch – that connection just makes their relationship in the build-up of the Blues that bit more insightful.
As an ever-present at Chelsea Women home games for the last three years, it is also clear that the Matilda is having a massive influence on her teammates’ games. The attacking build-up play prior to Kerr’s arrival was that bit slower and more predictable.
It is no coincidence that Kirby has been in the form of her life for the last 12 months. She has a mental understanding with her strike partner, the likes of which you very rarely see in football. Despite the pair often changing positions within the attack, that telepathic understanding remains.
Something else that is patently obvious to anyone at Kingsmeadow is just how outwardly happy Kerr is with her teammates. Warm-ups contain never-ending smiles, jokes, and wind-ups. Arguably for the first time in her career, the West Australian is not the only big star in her club side. When you are in a squad containing Pernille Harder, Kirby, Jessie Fleming and Magda Eriksson, you are far from being alone as a world-leading player.
With the pressure on her shoulders as the key performer in her club team lighter than it has been previously, Kerr is thriving and it is a privilege to see it week in, week out.
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