Prestige Property: 24-28 George Street, East Melbourne, VIC

Offered as a residence for the first time in over 100 years is this luxuriously transformed post office in East Melbourne.

Set across an impressive 723sqm plot, the 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 2-car garage home presents 687sqm of contemporary living space – designed by Charles Salter – within its historic façade.

Retaining the post office’s 1920’s charm, the interiors blend old with new through soaring ceiling heights and tall windows meeting rich hardwood floors – now with hydronic heating.

The ground floor homes the formal dining, living and library – all leaning into the buildings historic charm – while the open plan living, dining and kitchen play a more contemporary role in the home.

Here, we are met with a large commercial-grade kitchen fitted with Viking industrial appliances and a handcrafted timber island. A fully appointed butler’s pantry and dumbwaiter round out the offering.

Flowing from the living and dining space is access to the vine-clad terrace, complete with a built-in barbecue area. An adjoining entertainment room makes clever use of the post office’s old bones.

The first floor is home to the parents’ retreat which includes a set of elongated ‘his’ and ‘hers’ walk-in robes and ensuite, which is fitted with limestone finishes and an opulent skylight. An impressive feature, the master suite’s northern wall of glazing retracts to bring the verdant gardens inside.

The basement sees three of the bedrooms, a bar, billiard room and 1200 bottle wine-cellar while a studio and conservatory (which sits atop a 10-metre pool in situ) is found at the back end of the property.

CCTV security, automatic irrigation, remote gates to basement garage are also here.

Arriving in a prized location, the residence is moments from the MCG, Fitzroy Gardens and the very best of Melbourne’s inner-city dining.

The listing is with RT Edgar’s Sarah Case (+61 439 431 020) and Warwick Anderson (+61 418 320 873). Price guide: $10 million; rtedgar.com

Australian football superstar and Matildas captain Sam Kerr has joined one of the world’s most exclusive luxury watch brands, reflecting on the sacrifices behind a career at the pinnacle of professional sport and revealing she only signed with her new club last week.

As Richard Mille’s first and only Australian partner, Kerr has joined an elite group of global athletes, artists and innovators associated with one of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers.

Speaking in Sydney, the 32-year-old reflected on her next chapter, the extraordinary growth of women’s football and the personal sacrifices required to reach the top of the game.

Founded in 2001, Richard Mille has built a reputation for producing some of the world’s most technically advanced and exclusive timepieces. The Swiss watchmaker is renowned for its use of ultra-lightweight materials, Formula One-inspired engineering and limited-production watches that often sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, more than $1 million.

Its ambassadors include tennis great Rafael Nadal, Formula One stars Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, actress Michelle Yeoh and sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

During the Sydney event, Kerr wore the Richard Mille RM 07-04 Automatic Sport, a lightweight model featuring a pink case, blue strap and skeletonised movement. Designed for active lifestyles, the watch reflects the brand’s philosophy of combining high-performance engineering with luxury craftsmanship.

For Kerr, becoming the brand’s first Australian partner is a source of considerable pride.

“Of course, being the only Australian is incredible to me,” she said. “I am very proud to be Australian and I like to put Australia on the map.”

The announcement comes as Kerr prepares for the next stage of her football career following her departure from Chelsea after six-and-a-half years.

While speculation around her future has been mounting for months, Kerr revealed a decision was only finalised recently.

“Everyone thinks that it was decided and I’ve known that (it was) reported that I’d signed somewhere in April, but honestly, I only signed my contract on Wednesday last week,” she said.

“I really hadn’t decided what I was going to do until last week.”

Kerr said she expects details of her new club to be announced around the beginning of July once her Chelsea contract officially concludes.

Despite her excitement about what lies ahead, she admitted leaving one of the world’s biggest football clubs has been emotional.

“I am really sad about it,” she said. “It’s been my home for 6.5 years. I have so many good memories there. I have so many amazing teammates. I’m sad to leave.

“It sucks to leave such a big club like Chelsea too, but it comes to an end to everything, right?”

The 32-year-old also reflected on the transformation of women’s football during her career, describing the Matildas’ rise from relative obscurity to household-name status as one of her proudest achievements.

“What the Matildas have done over the last four or five years has been incredible,” she said.

“The most important thing for me is that you leave the game in a better place.”

Kerr noted that when she began playing, there were few professional pathways for women, limited sponsorship opportunities and crowds that bore little resemblance to those regularly attending matches today.

“We are a part of that generation that still knows what it was like when there was no one in the crowd,” she said.

Today, she said, crowds of tens of thousands remain something the team never takes for granted.

“Even last night we had 20,000 on a Tuesday night nearly. That’s special to us,” she said.

“We feel very lucky that people come out and spend their money and come to a game and watch us.”

Yet behind the accolades, sponsorships and sold-out stadiums, Kerr said there have been significant personal sacrifices.

“I’ve been living out of home since I was 17 years old. I’ve missed a lot of my family’s life,” she said.

“I’ve missed a lot of weddings. I’ve missed funerals. I’ve missed so many things that people don’t see.”

Kerr revealed she was unable to return home for her grandmother’s funeral last year because of football commitments.

“You have to love what you’re doing. You have to want to sacrifice,” she said.

“Everyone makes sacrifices, of course, and what I do is a massive privilege, but there comes a lot of sacrifice with it.”

Away from football, Kerr said Australia remains central to her identity despite spending much of her adult life overseas.

“I think we take for granted in Australia the beaches, the ocean, the open spaces,” she said.

As she prepares for a new club, a new season and a new role with Richard Mille, Kerr said she remains motivated by the same passion that first drew her to the game as a teenager.

“It was really organic,” she said of her relationship with the luxury watchmaker.

“It’s a real family brand.”

Prestige Property: 24-28 George Street, East Melbourne, VIC

Historic charm meets modern opulence.

The Matildas captain has joined one of the world’s most exclusive luxury watch brands, sharing candid insights into the sacrifices required to succeed at the highest level of world football.