Daniel Kerr has always been a tough customer. So much so that when it became known he battled through an agonising foot injury to play a stirring role in West Coast’s premiership glory, no-one was surprised.
Some post-match reports suggested that Kerr had played with a broken toe, others said foot. Neither was quite right, though it was revealed that a detached ligament had prevented him from training at any more than half-pace for several weeks.
Kerr made cameo appearances for sessions at Subiaco Oval in grand final week before disappearing into the bowels of the facilities for treatment or pool work. He kept his cards close to his chest, as he always does, his face largely void of panic, pain, frustration or concern. Just a hint of a smile for the cameras and well-wishers.
The low-key build-up climaxed at his final session at the MCG on Friday. It wasn’t too convincing – Kerr chipping away with his non- preferred foot at light skills away from the main group. It had been the case for several weeks but, in the final furlong towards the biggest game of the year, questions had to be asked.
Assurances from the club that their playmaker would come up didn’t appease everyone. And the poser as to whether the explosive midfielder would take the field remained. Was it a curse or wildcard that the tenacious on-baller was yet to line up against Sydney in 2006? In round 15 he was suspended, while the qualifying final was his third week sidelined with a lower leg injury.
On return against the Western Bulldogs in the semi-final, however, he had 29 possessions and added 25 against Adelaide a week later.
His inclusion would be the X-factor and senior coach John Worsfold agreed.
“It’s an advantage for us to have Daniel playing,” he told the Perth media when asked how important his inclusion would be. “There’s no doubt about that. We would much prefer to have Daniel in the side than have him out injured. That’s just part of us having our best squad available this week.”
The 23 year-old’s determination to play, no matter what it took, gave his coaches similar confidence.
“I had a sore foot which I couldn’t really run on or walk on properly without a painkiller,” he confirmed. “So I knew all along that all I needed was a painkiller on game day.
“Even if there is a little bit of pain (during the game), you don’t feel it. There’s too much going on.”
It’s all a matter of individual pain thresholds, but you get the impression that what might be “a little bit of pain” for Kerr could have others being wheeled into the back of an ambulance.
Run a tape of the knocks he has received throughout his six seasons in the engine room and it’s one hell of a highlight reel.
But for a young man who is modest about his stamina and other attributes, there’s no disputing his contribution to West Coast’s success in recent campaigns. His courage, hunger for the hard ball and ability to deliver on the big stage are just a handful of notable traits and it took longer than it should have for some to acknowledge Kerr’s worth.
Finishing runner-up to then-captain Ben Cousins in the 2005 Brownlow Medal convinced most to acknowledge him in the calibre of midfield maestros like Cousins and Chris Judd.
That was grand final week of last year, ahead of a match against the Swans that would see his impact impeded by a kick to the shin in its early stages. He did return, but the damage had been done and his impact was clearly reduced. Time spent without Kerr on the field is almost always detrimental.
In preparing for this year’s grand final after the disappointment of 2005, he noted that he “didn’t give it one thought”, instead drawing parallel from a team perspective.
“Every game we play Sydney there’s five points in it or less,” he assessed. “So at half- time, it wouldn’t have mattered if we were up by 10 goals, we knew it was going to be a nail-biter.
“At no stage did we ever think that the group felt like we were going to lose. Compared to last year where we went there hoping to win, it’s kind of like the group went there with the confidence knowing we had what it took to win.”
The sights of Kerr charging through the corridor, fleet-footed, suggested that it would be West Coast’s day. Those in the outer swore his 21 possessions were closer to 30 or 40.
His 16 running bounces for the game proved saving in tight situations, created play in others. A few more and the stat would have been a record for the year.
Then there were the 12 hard ball gets, underpinning his fearless approach.
But that’s how he’s always been. Even in his debut season when he was initially considered too small to have an impact or cope with the rigours of the contest.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was five years old and for it to finally happen… it still hasn’t sunk in,” he said.
The first West Coast Eagle to be presented a 2006 premiership medal, his dream is now a reality.
