To say Vivienne Kerr was delighted with the outcome of last Friday night’s national draft would be one of the great understatements of 2016.
“I am over the moon. To hear Patrick’s name called was incredible,” Vivienne said.
Carlton’s No.1 female ticketholder was by her grandson’s side and glued to the set when the club identified Patrick Kerr as its fourth-round selection (selection 65 overall) at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.
For Vivienne, the lead-up proved to be truly excruciating, as she sat through the draft telecast in silent hope.
“I was at his (Patrick’s) home sitting next to him and waiting anxiously,” Vivienne said. “I was terribly nervous and I think it’s a cruel process, but he is rapt with the outcome and so am I.”
Patrick and Vivienne Kerr on draft night. (Photo: Supplied)
For some time Vivienne contemplated the scenario that Patrick, son of her boy Stephen, would wind up at Carlton where Laurie carried so much clout as both player and powerbroker.
She can hardly wait to see Patrick run out.
“He (Patrick) is a very good footballer,” Vivienne said. “He mightn’t be as flashy as some of the smaller blokes his age, but he’s a very big boy. He turns 18 at the end of July and I reckon he stands at 6ft 5.”
Vivienne added that with Patrick’s family particularly close, the boy’s drafting to a Melbourne-based club was truly a bonus. As she readily conceded, the prospect of Patrick winding up at an interstate club “was one thing we were all nervous about”.
Though Laurie died 15 years ago this December, Vivienne is in no doubt her husband would have approved of this latest development.
“Laurie would have been over the moon,” Vivienne said. “He would have been critical of Patrick too, but not just him. Laurie was the same with Peter, Mark and Stephen. He always told them what he thought when they did wrong, but he encouraged them too like you wouldn’t believe.”
The late Laurie Kerr. (Photo: Carlton Football Club)
Vivienne revealed that despite her best intentions, the Kerr family had vetoed her push to sponsor Patrick so as to allow the boy his space.
As for the dark Navy Blue guernsey, the famous No.11 worn with distinction by Laurie into 149 senior matches through the 1950s will remain with its current wearer Sam Kerridge.
But Vivienne is in no doubt that the right set of digits will wind up on the broad back of her grandson.
