By Ian Chadband
Sam Kerr has made an impassioned plea for women’s football in Australia to reap the funding she believes it deserves.
The Matildas captain chose the eve of their game against Scotland in London on Friday to outline her hopes for the upcoming home World Cup’s eventual legacy in Australia, including an appeal to those in control of the sport’s purse strings.
She wants a “Cathy Freeman moment” for football in Australia, with the 2023 Matildas being “remembered forever” in the same way the 400m champion captivated the nation at the Sydney Games in 2000.
“The legacy left there, from that one special moment at the 2000 Olympics, was everlasting for all of us,” Kerr said at the team’s base outside London on Thursday.
“Ask half the girls in the team, their idol growing up was Cathy Freeman. That’s the legacy we want to leave – that we inspire the nation, we move the nation to believe in women’s football, believe in the Matildas.
“We already have the highest participation rate in the country, so it’s about getting the people higher up to believe in the sport.
Sam Kerr and the Matildas take on Scotland on Friday night (AEST).Credit: Getty Images
“You see the funding that AFL, rugby, all those sports get before women’s football, I think it’s about getting the money into football to allow girls to play, to allow girls to have the opportunities to get to where they want to be.
“With the Socceroos’ success at the World Cup, we saw the funding highlighted. So we have the participation, we have the love for the game, but the lasting legacy will hopefully be that we get the funding that the sport deserves.”
Cathy Freeman with her 400m gold medal in 2000.Credit: Rick Stevens
Although there is still three months before the Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, Kerr admitted the excitement was consuming her.
“It’s going to be the biggest honour in the world to represent your country at a home World Cup in front of your family and friends,” she said.
“We hope this team is remembered forever and we represent Australia in the best way possible and show that Australia can be a real footballing country.
“So I’m excited. It’s going to be the best World Cup ever and I get goosebumps every time I think about that first game [against Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney on July 20].”
Asked if she felt Australia could lift the trophy, Kerr refused to get ahead of herself.
“Ireland are a bloody good team, haven’t conceded a goal in nine games. It’s about taking care of one game at a time; you can lose games when you look too far ahead and that was one of the learning curves from the last World Cup.”
But will the Australian public get behind the team the way England fans did behind the Lionesses in the Euros?
“One hundred per cent,” Kerr said. “You saw that at the World Cup cricket in Australia and they went on to win it. Australians love getting behind Aussies … and I think the Matildas are one of the Aussie favourites fan-wise.”
First of all, her team has to negotiate two important warm-up matches over the Easter period against Scotland and England.
“Right now, we’re not where we want to be in two months. It is a practice match at the end of the day,” Kerr said about the Scotland match.
“But every time we step on the pitch as Matildas, we’re trying to get to where we want to be – so this will be full guns blazing.”
AAP
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