Battle has just begun for Matildas captain

Kerr will miss the Matildas’ next three games in the SheBelieves Cup against Japan, the United States and Colombia, but subject to fitness for her club, she could return in April for the Matildas.

South Korea will travel to Australia to play two friendlies on April 4 and 7 in Sydney and Newcastle, giving the striker ample time to prove she’s ready for international football.

Captaincy in doubt

In cricket, the captain sets the field, rotates bowlers and contributes to selection. In rugby, the skipper is the only player allowed to speak to the referee. Football is different. Of course, the captain leads their teammates through action or words, but it is often a more ceremonial appointment.

Kerr became captain of the country in 2019 when her star was already on its steep ascent after two consecutive golden boot awards playing club football in the United States. Captaining the Matildas did not make Kerr a superstar and it didn’t even really contribute to her legend.

Football Australia must grapple with a difficult decision. Kerr is her country’s star player, but is she still its best leader? She has been found not guilty in the court of law, but admitted regret at her actions. Given her recent injury problems, Kerr’s immediate focus is on recovery.

The governing body acknowledged that Kerr’s future as Matildas captain will remain undecided for the moment in a statement on Wednesday.

“Throughout this period, Football Australia has remained committed to supporting Sam and will continue to do so as she focuses on her footballing career, rehabilitation from injury and return to play,” it said.

“Football Australia invests heavily in building the behavioural standards and expectations of all involved with our game, especially for all our national team players, where leadership comes with added responsibilities on and off the field. Football Australia will reflect with Sam on learnings from this matter and we will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward.”

Battle of the brand

In 2023, the Australian Financial Review reported that Kerr’s overall earnings were $3.3 million, boosted by endorsements with Nike and EA Sports.

It is understood that Kerr has not lost any of her current endorsement deals, but questions remain whether any prospective brands will be put off engaging with the player after the court case.

The police officer’s bodycam footage of Kerr has been widely circulated, bringing her words far beyond staid court transcripts. Kerr’s behaviour in the police station has been seen and heard throughout the world.

Professor Adam Karg from Deakin University, an expert in sports marketing believes that Kerr’s brand can be recovered, but ultimately, time will tell.

“With this stage of the legal process completed, recovery of Kerr’s brand is certainly possible,” Karg said.

“The timing of her availability (injury) buys some time – and we’d expect to see some communication and acknowledgement around the incident. These next steps – and of course Kerr’s return to play – will play a critical role in opinion and timing of brand recovery.

“Now, for a role player or squad athlete, the return to the national team can be managed more easily. However, as the high-profile current captain of one of our highest profile national teams – this will lead to some wider consideration.”

Tristan Hay is a sports marketer and thinks that there could potentially be a distinction in how brands view Kerr between Australia and globally.

“She stood by her convictions and that’s going to appeal to other brands,” Hay said. “It’s probably too early to tell, but I think global brands certainly won’t be as big an issue. I think maybe domestically, possibly.

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“But again, Sam Kerr’s deals aren’t coming out of Australian marketing budgets, they’re coming out of the global marketing budget…

“She’s an athlete, first and foremost, and as soon as she gets back on the field and she’s scoring goals, doing backflips with that big smile on her face, it could open up new doors for her.”