Earlier this week, as most of you would know, Samantha Kerr won Young Australian of the Year. This is, of course, a huge honour and not something to be taken lightly. Yet, I continue to be asked by people around me why “some girl who just kicks around a ball” won this award.

As a young girl heavily invested in the growing world of women’s sport, it is so clear to me why Kerr has won and the future ramifications of this.

Kerr has done wonders in ushering the casual Australian sports fan into the world of women’s soccer. The media and general public adore her, whether she is scoring a hat trick or just simply playing kick to kick with some kids. That great image reflects back onto the women’s game.

By Kerr being herself, she grows the audience for the Matildas and W-League. So by adding this national award to her list of achievements, it reaches out to even more Australians who will now look to her and see the greatness we have all grown to love.

With this growing wave of respect for Sam Kerr, it’s easy to see how this will help the Matildas as a whole. In 2019, the Women’s World Cup will take place and I am almost certain that Australia will embrace our Matildas and show massive support. It is fairly understood that in the past women’s football has been ignored, that’s just a fact. People didn’t care, and part of the blame can be put to mainstream media not promoting it, but that’s why Kerr winning is so great.

People are going to read and write about her now, putting a spotlight on our national team. This couldn’t come at a better time with the Algarve Cup just around the corner, the public is more likely to be invested in the team just because they know the face (or rather the flips) of Sam Kerr. She is the hook that will entice the nation to fall in love with all our players.

People might see her as just some athlete, but to see just that would be selling the importance of female role models short. Sure, we have always had great football idols like Cheryl Sailsbury and Sally Shipard but they, unfortunately, have never been honoured on such a large scale. Now that Kerr has reached this level of publicity, kids all over Australia will see her and want to be just like her.

When I was growing up I couldn’t recall having someone like that to look up to, a female sports personality who played a sport I loved and was on the news regularly? Unthinkable! Soon when people think of great Australian athletes they’ll list the likes of Tim Cahill and Jonathan Thurston with Sam Kerr, the woman who changed soccer forever; a true leader for girls everywhere who is just as good, if not better, than her male counterparts.

I do believe that everyone who was nominated for Young Australian of the Year deserved to be nominated, but it was clear to me that Sam Kerr earnt that win. To just dismiss her as a girl who can kick a soccer ball is wrong because she means so much more than just that. It changes people’s perspectives and paints women athletes in a more professional light. With beacons like Sam Kerr, there is hope for a more equal future.