Sam Kerr picks a good time for fame
Sep 21, 2017 - 12:28 AM Somersaulting Sam Kerr has the star power to join Sally Pearson and Ellyse Perry among Australia's most marketable female stars, according to a sports business expert.Short-listed for FIFA world women's player of the year, the Matildas' striker is the toast of Australian football and is starting to transcend her sport in the wake of blistering recent performances and her trademark celebration backflip.
The 24-year-old from Perth now appears set to reap the rewards, having signed with Sydney-based PR company Nikstar this week.
"She could be the face of the Matildas for years to come," Deakin University sport business expert Adam Karg told AAP.
He said Nikstar would likely be looking to lock in long-term deals with big Australian brands.
Kerr extended her red-hot form with a goal double for the Matildas as they completed a sweep of powerhouse Brazil with a 3-2 win in front of 17,000 fans in Newcastle on Tuesday. That gave her seven goals in her last four internationals.
Karg said Kerr was part of a new breed of female athlete capable of becoming households name at a time when women's sport is booming.
"Absolutely she (Kerr) has the star power to put her alongside Sally Pearson and Ellyse Perry," he said.
"At the top end, these stars are capable of earning sizeable sponsorship deals in the same sphere as the male stars".
Whereas in past decades Australians tended to worship swimmers and track and field stars like Susie O'Neill and Cathy Freeman, new fans were now drawn to quality local professional women's competitions like AFLW, Women's Big Bash League, Super Netball and the W-League, Karg said.
"And it's a really exciting time for the Matildas, coming off the success they had in the US and then these two games against Brazil," he said.
While Kerr is among the favourites to win the world player of the year award in late October, it's her grounded attitude that is also winning hearts, Karg said.
"Australians love to see that laid back, grounded image, but she still has the flair with her celebrations."
Kerr's backflips after scoring for the Matildas have delighted fans and she was happy to oblige for the expectant Newcastle crowd on Tuesday night following her first goal.
"That one was mainly for the fans because everyone has been asking this week, so just for the fans," Kerr said.
"The first (goal) was a bit better than the second one but that's what Australia has been asking for and I haven't done one on home soil for a while."
Matildas coach Alen Stajcic acknowledges he has a special talent in Kerr, which which has helped propel his team to new heights.
"She's so dangerous; she'd be such a hard person to mark," Stajcic said.
"Her movement on and off the ball is amazing. She's probably the best reader of dangerous spaces in women's football".
Source: AAP
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