Sam Kerr joined the Matildas for training, but that wasn’t really the point

If you think Football Australia made the wrong decision by choosing to spare Sam Kerr from any further punishment for her verbal altercation with London police ... you probably weren’t at Leichhardt Oval on Tuesday afternoon.

And you definitely weren’t there from about 11.30am on Tuesday morning, when the first of around 2000 diehard supporters of the Matildas started queueing for their open training session and fan day – Kerr’s first involvement with the national team since October 2023.

She didn’t do much. In the final stages of her recovery from an ACL injury which has sidelined her for well over a year, Kerr was given clearance by her club Chelsea to travel to Australia for this international window and continue her rehabilitation with the Matildas. Here, that consisted of some light stretching and a couple of walking laps of the so-called eighth wonder of the world, before an extended autograph-signing session.

Many of the people who came to see her were wearing her famous No.20 on their backs or holding posters of support for her and the team.

Sam Kerr takes a selfie with a Matildas fan at Leichhardt Oval on Tuesday.Credit: Wolter Peeters

For all the hand-wringing about her behaviour, and the apparent split in public opinion when it comes to FA’s call not to strip her of the Matildas’ captaincy, it was a total Kerr love-fest.

“We’re all backing her. We’re all in support for Sam and want to show the love. That’s why I wore her jersey today,” said fan Anna Dalton.

Kerr laughs with Matildas teammates during a training run.Credit: Wolter Peeters

“I knew at the beginning when all this came out that there was more to the story. And I’m glad that she was found not guilty, as expected. It was a joke, basically ... I thought it was a little bit precious, to be honest, that policeman. If you’re going to take offence to being called white, try a little bit harder, maybe? I don’t know. I’m white. I’m not offended.”

Another fan, Taylor Goddard, was there with her baby boy, Bobby, who was wearing a Chelsea jumpsuit. Goddard followed Chelsea’s women’s team before Kerr signed for them in 2020, and described her as a “national treasure”.

“What an absolute beat-up,” she said. “And the fact that it trickled down into Australia and then a question over at captaincy to me was just ridiculous. I feel like the people that were criticising probably don’t watch a lot of football, a lot of women’s sports, or have sort of jumped on the bandwagon a little bit. So, yeah, I’m stoked that the FA didn’t take any further action.

“The people who are anti ... just took the opportunity for a bit of a culture war. And they’re the ones that will take a potshot about their form, not understanding the ebbs and flows and all the money that’s going in overseas.”

Kerr’s teammates seem to agree.

Suggestions that the 31-year-old, when fit to play, should choose to hand back the captain’s armband – as suggested by former Socceroo Robbie Slater – were given short shrift by midfielder and vice-captain Emily van Egmond, who said Kerr’s return, even in just a training capacity, was a huge morale boost for the team ahead of Friday night’s friendly against South Korea at Allianz Stadium.

“She definitely should not be stepping down,” she said. “The federation have come out and said what they need to say and obviously Sammy’s had her side to say as well. As teammates and a team, we’re in full support of her ... I just want to reiterate that it’s a real positive thing for the team.”

Van Egmond said she was largely oblivious to the specifics of the discourse around Kerr and the captaincy – a role filled in her absence by Steph Catley – but was fully aware that some sections of the football community and beyond were sticking the boot in.

“When you’re doing well, everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon, and then when you’re not, you’re going to get negative comments. That’s part and parcel of professional sport and everyday life, I guess,” she said.

“For us, it’s just making sure that we stick together, which we have. Sammy’s been such an important figure for this team ... a few of us have obviously grown up together and spent the juniors up until now together, and the first thing is removing Sam Kerr the footballer [from] Sam Kerr the human being and just making sure that she was okay.

“She’s just really happy, honestly, to be here. It’s been so long ... she only helps the team in positive ways so for us, it’s really, really nice just to see her here again and be a part of the group.”