1. Early life and family

2. Football career

3. Off-field controversies

4. Statistics

5. Personal life

6. References

7. External links

• Goal of the Year: 2003
• {{AFL WC}} premiership side: 2006
• All-Australian team: 2007
• Geoff Christian Medal: 2007, 2012
• West Coast Life Member: 2008

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.

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 and eventually became one of Australia's top players, playing internationally for The Matildas and domestically in both the W-League and the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).^[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

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