Robbie Slater declares ball in Sam Kerr’s court upon return to the Matildas but star shouldn’t be captain

Football Australia has failed in its role as guardians of the game in this country, writes ROBBIE SLATER. Sam Kerr needs to take matters into her own hands.

Sam Kerr’s value to the Matildas can’t be denied.

In the Chelsea star’s injury-enforced absence, Australia has lacked potency in attack and recent results have been poor.

Therefore, the sooner Kerr starts leading the Matildas’ forward line again, the better.

However, in the wake of news that the national women’s team captain will face no further sanctions from Football Australia for her much publicised run-in with the law, it does raise some interesting questions about her standing and the best way forward for Kerr as she prepares to join her teammates in camp.

Sam Kerr is set to re-join the Matildas in camp. Picture: COLIN MURTY / AFP

Ball is in Kerr’s court

The best thing that Kerr can do when she returns to action is to decline any offer to again captain the Matildas.

That will prove that she is putting the team first, and go at least some of the way towards her regaining some of the fans that have been put offside during her police and court saga, despite her being found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.

Steph Catley should retain the Matildas’ captaincy heading into next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.

If the Matildas want to win the tournament, they don’t need the drama of any potential backlash from Kerr captaining the team.

Kerr should just focus on scoring goals and helping Australia win the Asian Cup. If she can do that, she will have a chance to win her way back into the heart of a nation.

Regaining trust and respect, with not only the nation but her teammates, who have stood by her despite the hit to the Matildas brand, starts in the current camp.

Kerr might not be playing, but she can certainly set a proper example in camp. She should also front the media to properly face the music, accept responsibility and explain how she intends to make up for the mess she has caused.

And that’s not just by scoring goals. She needs to set a good example with her behaviour off the field.

Sam Kerr shouldn’t return to the captaincy, Slater says. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Football Australia fails

Having taken so much time to make an official statement about Kerr’s future, FA’s comments on Monday about the Kerr matter were weak.

Here was the perfect chance for FA to take a stand, to show some proper leadership and responsibility when it comes to running football in this country and holding players accountable to the national code of conduct.

Instead, FA tried to keep everyone happy by sprouting that it had shown a “commitment to fairness for all participants”.

That’s not FA’s job. The sport’s national governing body has the responsibility to show leadership and a commitment to acting accordingly and decisively.

Taking “no further action” against Kerr is anything but being decisive and responsible in its role as the guardian of football in Australia.

And why the silence from FA chief executive officer James Johnson? He is the true face of FA, not chairman Anter Isaac or board member Heather Garriock, who were left to comment on the matter in the statement.

Kerr compromised the captaincy. Picture: Matt Roberts - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Don’t compromise the captaincy

Captaining your country is the highest honour in any sport.

It’s a title that brings with it a responsibility not only to lead your team on the field, but also lead by example off the field.

Unfortunately for Kerr, she set a poor example in the video at the London police station that the whole of Australia watched.

That is not the behaviour befitting of a national captain.

No-one is doubting the fact that she was found not guilty of her charge.

However, calling him “f***ing stupid and white” was unacceptable, as was the way she conducted herself in the police station.

Kerr is supposed to be a role model, so there is no coming back, in terms of the captaincy.

While Kerr was cleared by a court of law, the court of public opinion suggests there will be a significant backlash if she ever again wears Australia’s captain’s armband, and rightfully so.

Originally published as Robbie Slater declares ball in Sam Kerr’s court upon return to the Matildas but star shouldn’t be captain