Daniel Kerr

Daniel Alan Kerr (born 16 May 1983) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played 220 games for the club between 2001 and 2013, as a hard-running inside midfielder.

This article is about the Australian rules footballer. For the American politician, see Daniel Kerr (politician).

Daniel Kerr
Kerr with West Coast in 2005
Personal information
Full name Daniel Alan Kerr
Date of birth (1983-05-16) 16 May 1983
Place of birth Perth, Western Australia
Original team(s) East Fremantle (WAFL)
Draft 18th pick, 2000 AFL Draft
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2001–2013 West Coast 220 (122)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2008 Dream Team 1 (0)
International team honours
2007 Australia 2 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2013.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Kerr was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia. His father Roger also played professional football, while his sister Samantha plays professional soccer. Kerr was recruited to West Coast with the 18th pick in the 2000 National Draft. He finished runner-up in the 2001 AFL Rising Star, and in 2003, aged 20, won the Goal of the Year award. Kerr placed in the top three of the Brownlow Medal in three consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2007, notably finishing runner-up to teammate Ben Cousins in 2005 by a single vote. He played in a premiership in 2006 (after a grand final loss the previous year), and was also named in the 2007 All-Australian team. Kerr suffered from injuries later in his career, eventually retiring from AFL football at the end of the 2013 season.

Early life and family

Kerr was born in Perth, Western Australia, to Roxanne (née Regan) and Roger Kerr. His mother was born in Australia, while his father was born to an Anglo-Indian family in Calcutta. Roger played professional football in the 1980s, appearing for East Fremantle in the WAFL and briefly also for Port Adelaide in the SANFL.[1] Kerr's younger sister Samantha also grew up playing football, but switched to soccer at the age of twelve. Sam grew into one of the world's top players, captaining Australia internationally for The Matildas and domestically in both the W-League and the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), winning multiple league MVP and Golden Boot titles in both.[2] Kerr and his sister are also more distantly related to two other famous West Australian footballers, Con Regan and Shaun McManus.[3]

Kerr attended Aquinas College, Perth,[4] where he met future teammate Quinten Lynch and several other future AFL players. He was in the East Fremantle Football Club's zone as a teenager, although he did not play at senior WAFL level before being drafted. He later played two games for East Fremantle in 2011 and three more in 2013.[5]

Football career

Kerr was selected with the number 18 pick in the 2000 AFL Draft. He won Goal of the Year in 2003 and was widely known as one of the toughest players in the AFL.

In 2005, Kerr almost provided one of the biggest upsets in Brownlow Medal history when he led the count towards the later rounds and finished second to favourite, teammate Ben Cousins.[6]

In 2006, he came third in the Brownlow Medal count with 22 votes; however, he was ineligible due to a striking charge against Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell in Round 14.[7] He was also a part of the Eagles' 2006 premiership side and still managed to receive 20 disposals during the game,[8] despite playing with detached ligaments in his foot.[9]

In August of the same year, the much bigger Fraser Gehrig, considered to be one of the strongest players in the AFL,[10] tried to palm off a tackle by Kerr, only to have Kerr resist and re-tackle Gehrig, with the result seeing the umpire reward Kerr with a "holding the ball" decision.

In 2007, Kerr had another great year with the Eagles. He came runner up in the Brownlow Medal for a second time in his career, behind Jimmy Bartel. His physical strength was further demonstrated in Round 1 against the Sydney Swans when he was able to successfully tackle and take down the far bigger Barry Hall in the goalsquare.

Kerr re-signed with the Eagles after weeks of speculation over his future during the 2009 season. In Round 10 of the same season, after an appeal by the Eagles the decision was upheld by the AFL tribunal, Kerr was suspended for one week for striking Carlton's Marc Murphy,.

In 2010, Kerr seriously injured his hamstring in the West Coast Eagles' Round 4 win over Essendon, which ended his season. His absence was felt on the field as the Eagles would win only three more games for the season.

Kerr announced his retirement from AFL football in October 2013.[11] The following month, he hinted that he would like to play football again in the WAFL. Kerr said if he played in the WAFL the following year, it would likely be at a club much closer to his northern suburbs home. However, he eventually decided against returning to the WAFL, but has played country football.[12]

Off-field controversies

In September 2002, Kerr was involved in a brawl with teammate Ben Cousins at a Perth nightclub during the club's end of season celebrations. Later the same night, after Cousins had previously punched Kerr in the face, Kerr then pushed Cousins down a flight of stairs, breaking his arm.[13][14]

In 2004, Kerr was charged with forging a prescription. He was given the blank prescription by a person at a party and went to a 24-hour chemist to buy 50 valium tablets. The court fined him a total of $400 and made a spent conviction order. He was also fined $5,000 by the club and was required to complete community service throughout the football season.[15]

In January 2007, Kerr and his father were charged with assault following a party in Perth. Kerr is understood to have been at a farewell party for his sister's friend in Attadale before trouble erupted shortly after midnight. Reports suggested that Kerr's sister complained about being touched inappropriately by another partygoer and a fight erupted soon after on the street. An 18-year-old man suffered a broken nose and broken tooth.[16] Kerr was charged with two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and was fined $2000 over the attack. His father was also fined after being found guilty of assault.[17]

In February 2007, Kerr was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after an altercation with a taxi driver. He was later arrested again while at a training session, and further charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and willful damage. Police prosecutor Gary Flynn told the court Kerr saw the taxi and jumped screaming and shouting onto the boot. The taxi driver got out of his car and was attacked by Kerr, Sgt Flynn said. Kerr's lawyer John Prior said his client had gone out to dinner, "consumed too much alcohol" and "made a crucial bad judgement call". Kerr pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined.[18]

In March 2007, information was released that implicated Kerr in drug dealing over the phone. His conversations with convicted drug dealer Shane Waters relating to a "big bag of horse chaff" were recorded by police phone taps in 2003.[14][19]

In April 2010, Kerr was ordered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal to pay $13,125 to teenager Troy Luies, after Luies filed a claim for the injuries he suffered at the Kerr's hands on 14 January 2007. Assessor William Millar awarded Luies compensation for the assault by Kerr, as payment for his hospital bills, lost pay and for trauma suffered.[20]

In November 2014, Kerr was arrested and charged with endangering the lives of two people after he allegedly started a small fire at a house in Glendalough. He spent five nights at Hakea Prison before being released on bail when his parents paid the $5000 surety.[21]

Statistics
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2001 West Coast 34197614714929638670.40.37.77.815.62.03.5
2002 West Coast 423201020820341143750.90.49.08.817.91.93.3
2003 West Coast 42117820320240554740.80.49.79.619.32.63.5
2004 West Coast 42113824317341674680.60.411.68.219.83.53.2
2005 West Coast 42281226419646081590.40.512.08.920.93.72.7
2006 West Coast 421111623324948261670.50.811.111.923.02.93.2
2007 West Coast 41781122323846146610.50.613.114.027.12.73.6
2008 West Coast 4116213113026124260.50.211.911.823.72.22.4
2009 West Coast 41173761382147300.60.36.912.519.50.62.7
2010 West Coast 44112454783120.30.36.013.519.50.83.0
2011 West Coast 4167817422039435380.40.510.913.824.62.22.4
2012 West Coast 42413829126155256530.50.312.110.923.02.32.2
2013 West Coast 410409511220717270.40.09.511.220.71.72.7
Career 220 122 93 2312 2325 4637 539 657 0.6 0.4 10.5 10.6 21.1 2.5 3.0

Source:[22]

Personal life

In May 2009, Kerr became engaged to his girlfriend of nearly two years, Natasha Pozo. They were married at Aquinas College, Salter Point in January 2010. In 2011, they welcomed their first child, a daughter.[23] They had their second child, another daughter, in 2012. In January 2014, it was announced that Kerr and Pozo had separated. They are now divorced.

In 2017 Kerr and partner Michelle Elizabeth Mcatackney welcomed their first child together. This is the first child for Mcatackney and third for Kerr.

gollark: At least three dedicated RPG bots, I believe.
gollark: r/bees you.
gollark: We actually have a bot manually add bot roles to newb ots.
gollark: At least 3, yes.
gollark: Er, a while?

References
  1. "What Makes Him Run". The Age. 14 April 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  2. Why Perth Glory star Sam Kerr snubbed AFLW for W-League
  3. Derby to be McManus' final game
  4. Blake, Martin (14 April 2007). "What makes him run". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  5. "Daniel Kerr WAFL statistics". www.wafl.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  6. Lyon, Karen (20 September 2005). "Eagle Lands Prize". The Age.
  7. "Delivering the Goodes". thewest.com.au. 26 September 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  9. Niall, Jake (2 October 2006). "West Coast trio fought off pain, surgery now likely". The Age.
  10. Footy's strongest man from realfooty.com.au
  11. Kerr calls time
  12. Kerr wants to play on
  13. "Champion's Rise And Fall", The West Australian, 21 March 2007, pp. 8–9
  14. "Kerr caught on police drug tapes". The Age. 24 March 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
  15. "ABC Sport – AFL – Eagle Kerr fined for forging valium prescription". Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2007.
  16. "AFL star Kerr on assault charge". 18 January 2007. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012.
  17. Father of star Eagle guilty of assault – Perth Now – Accessed 01-Oct-09
  18. Kerr pleads guilty to assault – The Australian – Accessed 01-Oct-09
  19. "Kerr implicated in drug scandal". ABC News Online. 23 March 2007. Archived from the original on 25 March 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  20. Daniel Kerr victim wins payout – PerthNow – Accessed 03-Apr-10
  21. Foster, Brendan; Cox, Nicole (17 November 2014). "Former West Coast Eagle Daniel Kerr released from Hakea Prison".
  22. Daniel Kerr's player profile at AFL Tables
  23. "Daniel Kerr official fansite". Sportsnewsfirst. 25 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.