When Sam Kerr arrived in her beloved hometown last week ahead of the Matildas’ Olympic qualifiers, her fellow Matildas teammates predicted there would be a “frenzy” over the Perth-born Aussie captain.
After all, when it comes to sports families in Western Australia, it doesn’t get more synonymous than the name Kerr.
Long before Sam became the biggest name in women’s football, her older brother Daniel was a Perth household name, winning the 2006 AFL premiership with the West Coast Eagles.
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They are the children of WAFL and SANFL great, Roger Kerr. But when Sam led the Matildas onto the field in Perth in front of sell-out crowds last week, her big brother wasn’t expected to be among the thousands cheering her on.
Daniel, 40, was found guilty of arson in May after setting fire to a home owned by his parents in 2021, and sentenced to two years’ jail.
He had already served the time and was able to apply for immediate release. The Perth District Court was told that at the time of his offence, he was suffering from health complaints that cannot be named for legal reasons, and has since been treated in prison.
His lawyer also alleged he’d suffered head knocks during his AFL career that he didn’t report through fear he’d have to stop playing.
Daniel, who retired in 2013, was sentenced to five days’ prison the following year for breaching a violence restraining order.
It’s a roller-coaster Sam, 30, has been on-off with her big brother for more than a decade. She admitted to not speaking to Daniel for two years at one point – something that may well have saved his life.
“All of our family’s close, but me and Daniel are super close,” she said in 2019.
“He always says, ‘That’s the thing that brought me back onto the road, that everyone spoke to me except you.’
“I had to watch Mum and Dad stressed out about their 30-year-old son, which affected me. Seeing my parents deal with it, that was probably the hardest.”
While Sam hasn’t commented on Daniel’s most recent scandal, insiders say that her Perth homecoming has been bittersweet.
“Family has always been important to Sam, that hasn’t changed,” says one insider.
Indeed, Daniel once praised Sam’s “tough love” as the reason why he “started to behave again”.
“He always said if it wasn’t for me, he’d probably still be out there being an idiot,” the ever-candid Sam once explained.
Despite being surrounded by so many happy and devastating memories,
it’s clear Sam is thrilled to be back on home turf.
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The Matildas, who captured hearts during the FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier this year, played Iran on Thursday and the Philippines on Sunday, and face Chinese Taipei on Wednesday November 1 on their way to what will hopefully be Paris 2024 Olympic glory.
“In an AFL dominated state, Sam put football on the map here,” former Aussie soccer star Danielle Brogan told AAP.
“I know she had big shoes to fill after her brother’s career, but I think she’s gone off on her own.”
Sam herself adds, “To be able to come home again with my teammates will be a really special moment. West Aussies are some of the best fans in the world!”
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