‘Weak’: Commentator Lucy Zelic slams Football Australia’s Sam Kerr stance

Football Australia’s response Sam Kerr’s court case has been torn to shreds as everyone continues to ask the same question about her role.

Leading football commentator Lucy Zelic has hit out at Football Australia (FA), labelling the governing body “weak” for not removing Sam Kerr as Matildas captain.

In a statement issued on Wednesday night, after the Matildas and Chelsea star was found not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of a British cop, FA said they would continue to fully support Kerr but stopped short of confirming if she will remain captain.

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FA said it would “reflect with Kerr on learnings from this matter” before deciding on Kerr’s leadership role.

Following the trial, the Matildas striker released a statement apologising for “expressing herself poorly” and doubled down on the fact she “did not intend to insult or harm anyone” with her comments.

However, after the court was shown bodycam footage of the 31-year-old calling PC Stephen Lovell “stupid and white” during a heated exchange following a night out in January 2023, many believe Kerr simply cannot continue as captain.

Sam Kerr’s position as Matildas captain has been called into question. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)

Commentator and radio host Zelic slammed the governing body for not acting after the trial concluded, declaring Kerr’s role as the Matildas’ leader is not tenable and taking aim at their “weak” statement following the verdict being handed down.

“She admitted in court that she felt hostility and that she was behaving in a hostile manner towards the police constable involved, to PC Lovell,” Zelic told Clinton Maynard on 2GB on Wednesday.

“On the balance of that, as I have said we have to really assess whether this is someone of good moral character that deserves to represent the country and also, not only that, factor in well, is this also a suitable role model.

“If I were to show this to my five-year-old daughter would I want her to walk away from that and for her to feel like that was an appropriate way to treat people, that this is OK and acceptable?

“Of course, this conversation has evoked a lot of emotion. Last week I said I didn’t want to get into the etymology of racism. But in the interactions Kerr has with the police officer, she brings up the fact that this is a white thing, that this is a white privilege issue.

“Well, can I argue based on that premise alone, what is privilege and power if it is not behaving poorly and walking out of a situation as it stands without any consequence? Or being remanded for those actions.

“As it stands, Football Australia, the rumour is that they are sitting back behind the scenes and are debating the captaincy but you wouldn’t be able to judge that based on their statement.”

Lucy Zelic believes Sam Kerr must be stripped of her Matildas captaincy. Picture: Richard Dobson

Sam Kerr was found not guilty earlier this week. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

Maynard chipped in saying: “It’s a pretty weak statement, right?”

To which Zelic responded: “It’s so weak”.

The broadcaster also doubled down on her comments last week where she claimed there was a huge double standard with Kerr’s racism case.

“Even if you took the racial element out of it, with reference to calling him ‘stupid, f-ing and white’, even if you just saw the way she behaved that night, obviously we’re dealing with someone that’s intoxicated,” Zelic said.

“The way that she decided to brandish her bank account, the way that she was speaking to the police officer … you take all of these things into account and to me, this is not someone who qualifies as a national team captain of their country – particularly of such a beloved franchise, regardless of the verdict.

“Regardless of the verdict, for me, the fact that we were privy to this footage, the damage has already been done.

“Just think how this would have gone down if the situation was reversed, and she had instead been speaking to a police officer of colour and said: ‘You’re stupid and black,’ of course, we’d be having an entirely different conversation.”

And she isn’t the only one who feels Kerr cannot remain captain.

Sam Kerr is idolised by many young Matildas fans (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)

Following FA’s statement many took to social media to call for them to strip the forward of the captaincy.

Former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman wrote on X: “A Federal or State Minister or a Company Executive who threw up in a cab, smashed its window and drunkenly abused a police officer wouldn’t have a job by the end of the week.”

“So why would Sam Kerr even have a slot on the Australian team let alone be the Captain?”

The Australian Financial Review’s Myriam Robin, in an opinion piece, wrote that Kerr’s suitability to be skipper “has more to do with public opinion, and its tolerance for entitled or idiotic athletes behaving badly”.

“That tolerance has, lately, been shrinking,” she added.

As The Guardian’s Kieran Pender wrote, the not-guilty verdict “does little to quell bigger questions about the ongoing reputational fallout, including Kerr’s future as captain of the national team and the face of women’s football in Australia”.

Football Australia declined to comment about the backlash when contacted by news.com.au.

Steph Catley has served as stand-in captain over the past year as Kerr recovers from an ACL injury, with the FA not needing to make any immediate decision on whether or not she remains captain.

In the statement on Wednesday that initially sparked the backlash, FA refused to commit one way or another to the Matildas’ long-term captain, instead reiterating that its focus is on supporting her and aiding in her return to the football field.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson has refused to confirm if Sam Kerr will remain as captain. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

“Football Australia acknowledges today’s Not Guilty verdict regarding Sam Kerr and welcomes Sam’s statement,” the statement began.

“Sam has been a key figure in Australian football for many years, and we recognise the significant pressures that this matter has brought to Sam, Kristie, her family, and everyone involved, including the impact it’s had on the game.

“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.

“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.

“We look forward to Sam’s return to the pitch and her continued contributions to both her club and the Matildas on the world stage.

“Football Australia will not be making any further comments.”

Sam Kerr hasn’t played for Chelsea or the Matildas in more than 12 months as she recovers from an ACL injury. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Kerr is widely loved by the Aussie sporting community due to her determined nature and flashes of brilliance on the pitch.

After making her Matildas debut at just 15 years old, Kerr has since become the Australian women’s all-time top scorer, with 69 goals in 128 appearances.

She also helped the side to the 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-final – Australia’s highest-ever finish – and also scored a wonder goal against England.