Meet the real SAM KERR
The Australian Women's Weekly|August 2023
She's as notorious for her attitude to privacy off the pitch as she is for her skill on it. But when The Weekly lands an interview with hard-to-pin-down Sam Kerr ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the soccer sensation reveals the reason why she believes silence is golden.
MARLEE SILVA
Meet the real SAM KERR

She will be audio only too. Thanks! This text message comes through at 6:58pm after I’ve already jumped onto the Zoom meeting, waiting for Sam Kerr, Matildas’ captain and global soccer phenomenon, to join me at 7pm. I’m accompanied in this virtual setting by three others who are in charge of the publicity related to Football Australia. And, even though they all technically work with Sam, there seems to be a nervous energy coming from them which equally reflects my own.

When you’re performing at the highest level, like Sam is – the only female football player to have won the Golden Boot in three different leagues on three different continents – you are afforded the privilege of having teams around you dedicated to ensuring that your commitments away from the sporting field are as easy and non-disruptive as possible.

At 29, Sam Kerr is a name synonymous with football. She’s surpassed gender and the limits of the Australian sporting landscape. And despite the enormous spotlight on her – presumably to keep her focus on performing on the pitch – Sam rarely does interviews.

When I’d first requested to speak with her on the back of the Disney+ series, Matildas: The World At Our Feet, I’d expected an immediate shutdown. When, after weeks of negotiations I was told I had been allocated 10 minutes of interview time, I was over the moon.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLYView all
Hitting a nerve
The Australian Women's Weekly

Hitting a nerve

Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
Take me to the river
The Australian Women's Weekly

Take me to the river

With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
The last act
The Australian Women's Weekly

The last act

When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
The Australian Women's Weekly

MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN

When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
The wines and lines mums
The Australian Women's Weekly

The wines and lines mums

Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.

time-read
10 mins  |
July 2024
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
The Australian Women's Weekly

Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?

Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Growing happiness
The Australian Women's Weekly

Growing happiness

Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2024
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
The Australian Women's Weekly

"Thank God we make each other laugh"

A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:

time-read
7 mins  |
July 2024
Winter baking with apples and pears
The Australian Women's Weekly

Winter baking with apples and pears

Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Budget dinner winners
The Australian Women's Weekly

Budget dinner winners

Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024