There is consensus on International Women’s Day that Australia’s best and most influential female athlete is Sam Kerr.
Newspapers around the country have prepared their power lists and in amongst billionaires, corporate heavyweights, executives, politicians and athletes, it is the Matildas captain that holds sway.
Kerr’s accomplishments are broad, well-documented and celebrated – Australia’s all-time leading goal scorer, a winner of the Golden Boot in leagues on three different continents and a global profile worthy of the cover of FIFA’s video game alongside Kylian Mbappe.
With the retirement of Ash Barty and Cam Smith playing on the LIV Tour, Chelsea star Kerr is unchallenged as Australia’s No.1 sports person right now.
Later this year she will be the centrepiece of one of the biggest sporting events ever staged in this country when the Women’s FIFA World Cup kicks off.
After some rocky years that disrupted the previous World Cup, the Matildas are coming together with a promising sense of timing.
At the Olympics they were close – narrowly losing the semi final and then the bronze medal match to Sweden and the US respectively.
Recent internationals suggest they have improved again and fresh in the mind is the unifying power of this tournament on the men’s front.
A World Cup on the pitches of Australia is the stage Kerr deserves and at 29 the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Just as the Sydney Olympics was for Cathy Freeman and the Australian Open was for Barty, this will be Sam Kerr’s legacy moment.
Sam Kerr – acclaimed Australia’s best and most influential female sporting figure on this International Women’s Day.