Matildas captain Sam Kerr has disclosed that she had to masquerade as a boy for five to six years as a junior footballer to get a game in East Fremantle, Western Australia. In her new book, 'My Journey to the World Cup', the Chelsea striker recalls cropping her hair short and hiding her gender to play on boys' teams.
Kerr wrote that she knew she would be the only girl on the team but was not worried, as she did not want to be treated differently. However, the physicality of playing against boys eventually took its toll, with Kerr coming home with black eyes and a bloody lip. Her father and brother intervened, insisting she stop playing due to safety concerns, leaving her heartbroken as there were no girls' teams available at the time.
The experience steeled Kerr, who went on to become Australia's best female footballer, earning $650,000 a season at Chelsea. She also revealed in the Disney+ documentary series 'Matildas: The World at Our Feet' that she was asked to leave school in Year Nine for being 'naughty'.
Fellow Matildas star Ellie Carpenter also played with boys as a junior due to a lack of girls' teams. Carpenter recalled watching the Matildas play when she was 12 and dreaming of representing her country, noting the contrast with today's sold-out crowds at Stadium Australia.
