A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME

Sam Kerr was showered in glory in November when she was named Asia’s best female player at the Asian Football Confederation awards for her stellar run with the Matildas and as a star player for Perth Glory in the W-league.

Many agreed when veteran ABC sports host Tracey Holmes proclaimed the Fremantle-born Kerr “our best footballer.”

For all the accolades and the thrill of cheering fans, the 24-yearold maintains a determined philosophy that helps keep her in winning form, on and off the field. “Someone once said to me, ‘It’s not as good as it seems and it’s not as bad as it seems,’” says Kerr, who is joining the Chicago Red Stars in March. “For me, it’s a lesson about resilience, to hang on. You have to learn in life that it’s always going to change, no matter which way you’re heading. So, you’ve got to enjoy the moment you’re in.”

Kerr, who has played for the Matildas for nine years, says the past year, particularly—with the success of the W-league and the AFL Women’s league—has marked a turning point. “Things are changing in how women’s sports are seen,” she says, but she’s not complacent. “2017 was only one year, and we don’t want to stop there. We want to keep changing women’s sport—there’s more to do.”

Today, she’s one of sport’s new breed of strong female role models, but growing up, Kerr says she had only one: “Cathy Freeman was my great sporting role model, but I didn’t have a football role model then.” Not that she has had to look too far since joining the Matildas at age 15. “I am surrounded by them on our team, and we look to each other; these are all great sportswomen. I have grown up with these girls and we have all matured together. It’s been cool.”