Che Cockatoo-Collins facts for kids

Che Cockatoo-Collins (born 5 March 1975) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played in the top league, the Australian Football League (AFL).

Che was born in Brisbane, Queensland. He later moved to Cairns, Queensland. There, he started playing junior football for the Cairns City Cobras. While still in school, Che and his family moved to Adelaide. He joined the Port Adelaide Magpies in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). People quickly noticed his great skills and speed. Che played 25 SANFL games before being chosen by the Essendon Bombers.

Playing for Essendon

Che Cockatoo-Collins started playing for the Essendon Bombers in the 1994 season. He was 19 years old. He slowly got better at the game. In 1994, he played 16 games. He kicked 24 goals for his team.

He played well the next season too. But the 1996 season was his best year yet. He played in 23 out of 24 games for Essendon. He kicked 37 goals that season. After 1996, his performance dropped a bit. He was then traded to the Port Adelaide Power at the end of the 1998 season.

Playing for Port Adelaide

When Che joined Port Adelaide in 1999, he showed he was a valuable player. He played 12 games and kicked 23 goals. The next season was tough for him. He only played two games because of injuries.

In 2001, Che had his best season ever. He played 22 games and kicked 41 goals. He also averaged 15 disposals per game. In his last two seasons, he kicked 40 goals in total. However, he only played 16 games in his final year. He stopped playing for Port Adelaide at the end of the 2003 season.

After AFL Football

After leaving the AFL, Che Cockatoo-Collins kept playing for the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL. He was a strong player for them. He announced he was retiring from the SANFL in February 2006.

Che then played for a team called United in the Adelaide Plains Football League in 2007 and 2008. He missed the 2007 grand final game.

Che also had a small part in an Australian movie from 2005 called Look Both Ways. He played a man who walks into an office at the start of the movie. He is also seen photocopying later on.

Family Life

Che Cockatoo-Collins has younger twin brothers, David and Donald. They also played for the Port Adelaide Football Club. They also played in the AFL for the Melbourne Demons.

The "Cockatoo" part of his family name comes from his great-great-grandfather. He lived in Cape York Peninsula and was known as "Old Man Cockatoo." Che's nephew, Nakia Cockatoo, is also a professional Australian rules footballer. He plays for the Brisbane Lions.