- New State Football Centre renamed in honour of
homegrown football mega star Sam Kerr
- Sam Kerr Football Centre named at community
football festival marking the centre's official opening and CommBank Matildas'
participation in the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers in Perth
- $50.8 million centre joint-funded by the State
and Commonwealth Governments part of FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New
Zealand hosting legacy
- Select CommBank Matildas in attendance as captain
Sam Kerr recognised for her world-leading career to date and legacy of
inspiring our future CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos
The
newly constructed State Football Centre in Queens Park will now be officially
known as the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Born
and raised in Western Australia, Sam Kerr's phenomenal football journey has
become part of the State's international identity.
As
captain of the CommBank Matildas, she has represented Western Australia on the world
stage in high esteem, with all Western Australians proud of her connection to our
State.
Premier
Roger Cook, Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman and Tourism Minister
Rita Saffioti today announced that the world-class centre would be named in Sam
Kerr's honour, in recognition of her successful career to date, her
contribution to professional and grassroots football, and the legacy she
continues to leave in inspiring the next generation of footballers.
The
$50.8 million facility, which was joint funded by the State and Commonwealth Governments
and is owned by the State Government, includes a two-storey grandstand, two
competition and training pitches and three five-a-side playing pitches. It was
used as a training base by five international teams during the recent FIFA
Women's World Cup 2023 Australia and New Zealand and will be home to the next
generation of WA football players, supporting the development of the sport from
grassroots to high-performance teams.
The
new name was revealed at a community football festival attended by Sam Kerr and
some of her CommBank Matildas teammates to celebrate the centre's official
opening and WA's growing football community and its achievements.
The CommBank
Matildas are in Perth for their three exclusive matches at HBF Park and Optus
Stadium as part of the Paris 2024 Olympic Asian Qualifiers.
The
Cook Government today also announced a new $9.3 million investment in
grassroots football clubs and local facilities and infrastructure, to ensure
WA's successful hosting of this year's Women's World Cup delivers a lasting
legacy for the world game in WA.
Comments attributed to CommBank
Matildas Captain Sam Kerr:
"As a proud West Australian, I am incredibly
privileged to have this amazing State Football Centre named after me.
"It fills me with pride to think that football in
WA is growing so rapidly in popularity and that children, at a grassroots level,
as well as world-class sporting teams will be able to access these
impressive facilities.
"Football centres, such as this, create opportunities for
kids that enable them to reach their full potential, and that is the
ultimate goal."
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Sam Kerr is a global football
superstar and truly a sporting icon – she's an incredible role model for
Western Australians and I can't think of a better name for our new home of
grassroots football and high performance.
"We want the next generation of
football stars to play and train at this centre and think about their own
sporting dreams.
"In naming our new world-class facility
after Sam, my Government hopes that her contribution to football and impressive
legacy will continue to inspire our future Matildas and Socceroos and help grow
the game locally."
Comments attributed to Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
"I am so pleased to see Western
Australia's new football centre named after someone who inspires so many young
girls and women, not just here in WA but across the nation and the world.
"The best thing about hosting
the FIFA Women's World Cup in Western Australia was the fact that it created
such a legacy for young girls and for football generally, so naming the new
centre after Sam Kerr makes fantastic sense."
Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Sam
Kerr is a national sporting hero and incredible role model for young Western
Australians.
"What better way to
inspire the next generation of players than naming this incredible new sporting
venue – a legacy of WA hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic Asian Qualifiers
– after the Perth-born Captain of our most successful Australian women's national
football team."
Comments attributed to Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell:
"Football West is
delighted that the home of football in Western Australia will be named the Sam Kerr
Football Centre. As well as being one of the best players in the world, Sam is
a fantastic role model and a proud West Australian.
"The Sam Kerr Football
Centre will provide for all levels of the game - from Sam's CommBank Matildas
to the grassroots players, and will provide a platform for aspiring young
footballers to reach the world stage.
"There is no more fitting
choice for a name than Sam Kerr."
