Why FA must get Sam Kerr call right amid player revolt fears
Never before has a standing Australian captain been charged with an alleged criminal offence, and Football Australia’s response could spark a player revolt. JAMIE PANDARAM investigates FA’s options.
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Is Sam Kerr too powerful to be stripped of the Matildas captaincy?
That is the very real question Football Australia officials face, after the striker was charged by British police for allegedly racially abusing an officer.
Kerr’s lawyers are already seeking to have the matter quashed on a technicality, which will be heard at court on April 26. If cleared, Kerr’s four-day trial set for next February would be scrapped, and the landscape for punishment by FA would dramatically change.
If Kerr is not successful in clearing her name, then FA surely will take the captain’s armband from her.
But if she is cleared, the only areas they can discipline her for under their code of conduct is under clause 2.14 for having “engaged in misconduct … if they commit, or are charged with, a criminal offence”, clause 7 (c) to impose a no-fault interim suspension where FA deems its reputation would be damaged if they did not suspend her on an interim basis, and as general protocol for not alerting them of the charge in first place.
FA chief executive James Johnson and Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said they both learned of the police charge on Tuesday morning when media broke the story.
Normally, that alone would sink any captain’s hopes of holding on to the leadership, such is the breach of trust.
But Kerr does not fit the “normal” category.
No other athlete in Australia can claim to be bigger than their sport, but Kerr can.
Kerr wields such power and influence over the team and with the fan base, that any penalty deemed too harsh by the star player could create a crack for which no glue can put back together.
In many respects, Kerr is bigger than the team at this point.
She has a global following that transcends the Matildas and Australian football.
Her individual profile dwarfs that of the national team – Kerr has 1.8 million Instagram followers, more than double that of the Matildas (747,000).
She sells the most jerseys, the most match tickets, and is most sought after by media.
But perhaps more importantly than all of that, is her command of the dressing room.
It’s clear the players – especially those in the senior group – follow her into battle with unwavering loyalty.
Kerr’s support and behind-the-scenes work while injured during last year’s World Cup inspired them, and then when she returned to the field, her superior skill and presence boosted their confidence further.
FA faces a tricky and delicate task.
If the senior group want Kerr to remain as captain, FA risks irking key stars and creating tension in the Matildas sheds.
This is uncharted territory.
Kerr is the first standing captain of an Australian sports team to be charged with a criminal offence.
The day before he was named Kangaroos captain in 2000, Brad Fittler was heavily intoxicated and left asleep outside Glebe police station by a taxi driver, but the incident didn’t attract any charges.
Plenty of sports stars have found themselves on the wrong side of the law post-career, but Kerr is the face of the game here and abroad right now.
How exactly FA handles this matter will not only reflect on Kerr’s power within the ranks, but create a precedent for all footballers, male and female, going forward.
Originally published as Why FA must get Sam Kerr call right amid player revolt fears
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