On a typical weekend morning in London, Sam Kerr says you’re likely to find her sat in front of the television with a cup of coffee, and watching the Liberty A-League.
Almost five years have passed since the Matildas captain last played her club football on home soil, but her interest hasn’t waned in Australia’s top domestic league – and the current Liberty A-League campaign is catching her attention like no other.
Kerr has been taken aback by the record crowds that have added rich colour to the opening two rounds of the 2023-24 campaign; memories of her time spent in the league, split across stints at Sydney FC and hometown club Perth Glory, paint a contrasting picture to the scenes Kerr has witnessed this season.
Returning home to Perth with the Matildas for three Olympic qualifiers against Iran, the Philippines and Chinese Taipei, Kerr praised the fans who have taken the positivity generated by the Matildas at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and carried it across to the domestic game.
“I’ve been watching all the W-League (A-League) games,” Kerr said.
“It’s easy to watch the (A-League) in London, so I turn it on when I’m having my morning coffee.
“I saw the crowds, which (were) amazing… I think that’s come over from the World Cup and the success of the Matildas.
“We all grew up in that league and are really proud to have played in it.
“Hopefully it’s a league that continues for many, many years because all of us have come from that league.”
Kerr returned to Perth for her first game since February, 2019 for Thursday night’s Olympic qualifier against Iran, scoring the sealing goal in a 2-0 win in front of nearly 19,000 fans at HBF Park.
On Sunday afternoon, the Matildas will take on the Philippines at a sold-out Optus Stadium, where a 60,000-strong crowd is expected to pack the stands.
“We gained so many football fans over the last two months. It has been amazing,” said Kerr.
“It’s a credit to the girls, but also to the fans. The fans have created this experience for us.
“I said this a million times during the World Cup: We would have played that World Cup in front of no fans. The fact we got to do it in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, and bring games like this home to Perth, it’s a dream come true for all of us.”
It’s been a special week for Kerr in Perth, who on Friday was honoured by the Western Australian Government with the announcement that the newly constructed State Football Centre will now be officially known as the Sam Kerr Football Centre. The announcement came after Kerr’s special Matildas goal at HBF Park on Thursday night.
Reflecting on her homecoming experience so far, and looking ahead to the following two Perth qualifiers – including Sunday’s Optus Stadium sellout against the Philippines – filled the Fremantle-born Matildas icon with local pride.
“I hope all the Perth people do come out (on Sunday), because I love giving people in the Eastern states a bit of stick about our Perth crowds,” she said.
“We haven’t had a (Matildas) game in Perth in five years, and it would be nice to have that to draw some more games back here.”
Matildas Fixtures
Philippines v Australia
Date: Sunday, 29 October 2023
Kick-off: 3pm AWST / 6pm AEDT
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Australia v Chinese Taipei
Date: Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Kick-off: 7pm AWST / 10pm AEDT
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
