Liam Jurrah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liam Jurrah |
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Jurrah in August 2009
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Liam Jungarrayi Jurrah | ||
| Nickname(s) | LJ, the Warlpiri Wizard, the Cougar | ||
| Date of birth | 22 September 1988 | ||
| Original team | Yuendumu Magpies (CAFL) / Nightcliff (NTFL) | ||
| Draft | 1st overall, 2009 Pre-Season Draft Melbourne |
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| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Liam Jungarrayi Jurrah (born September 22, 1988) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Liam is also known as "Jungarrayi." This name shows he is an initiated member of the Warlpiri people. The Warlpiri people live in Yuendumu, a small community about 300 kilometers north-west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
He made history as the first Indigenous person from a remote Central Australian community to play senior football in the AFL.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Liam Jurrah was born in Yuendumu. His mother is Corrina, and his father is Leo Japaljarri Jurrah, who was a famous football player in Yuendumu. His Grandmother Cecily also played a big part in raising him, following Warlpiri traditions.
As a child, Liam learned to speak four different Indigenous Australian languages. He also learned English. He had never seen the ocean until he was older.
Playing Football in the Desert
Liam started playing Australian rules football when he was very young. He often played on the local red dirt oval in Yuendumu. He also played in football carnivals across the Central Australian desert. These events, called Sports Weekends, were against other remote communities. Some of these communities included Papunya, Lajamanu, and Hermannsburg.
When he was a teenager, Liam would travel 600 kilometers each week with his father. They went to Alice Springs so Liam could play for Yuendumu in the Central Australian Football League. Liam was part of the Yuendumu Magpies teams that won championships. These included the Under 17 championship in 2005 and A Grade championships in 2005, 2007, and 2008.
Helping His Community
During his teenage years, Liam also volunteered with the Mt Theo Program. He helped with their Jaru Pirrjirdi youth development program. This involved organizing activities like sports, bush trips, and discos for young people in Yuendumu. His strong leadership skills helped him become a youth mentor. He helped other young Warlpiri men in his community.
First Steps Towards the AFL
In 2007, Liam first visited Melbourne. He was a guest of a group connected to the Collingwood Football Club. He watched his first football match at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground.
He returned to Melbourne in 2008. The Collingwood Football Club had him play four games in the Victorian Football League. He showed amazing athletic skills and talent. Later that year, he played for Victoria (VFL) against South Australia (SANFL). His time in Melbourne ended early because he needed to return to Yuendumu for important family reasons.
Winning Championships and Getting Noticed
In September 2008, Liam won the Everingham Medal. This award is for the best player in the CAFL Grand Final. He kicked four goals in the first quarter, helping Yuendumu win the championship. This was a historic win because it was the first time the 'town' and 'country' teams played together. Before this, they had played in separate competitions in Alice Springs.
After the CAFL season, Liam also played for Nightcliff in the Northern Territory Football League. He kicked five goals in his last game there. This is when AFL talent scouts first noticed him. Fellow player Aaron Davey also saw him and told the Melbourne Football Club's recruiting staff about him. Liam returned to Melbourne in December 2008. Many AFL clubs, including the North Melbourne Football Club, were interested in him.
Liam was later chosen for the AFL Pre-Season Draft. This happened after former Collingwood player Rupert Betheras suggested him. He was given special permission to join the draft, even though he hadn't been in the earlier National Draft.
AFL Career with Melbourne
The Melbourne Football Club chose Liam Jurrah as their first pick in the 2009 preseason draft. He came from the Yuendumu Magpies (CAFL).
During his first year in Melbourne, Liam lived with friends. Later, he lived with his partner and fellow Melbourne player Austin Wonaeamirri.
Before the 2009 AFL season began, Liam was chosen to play for the Indigenous All-Stars team. This was a special team that played a pre-season match against Adelaide in Darwin.
His older Indigenous teammates at Melbourne helped him a lot. Aaron Davey, Matthew Whelan, and Austin Wonaeamirri all played important roles in helping Liam get used to life in Melbourne.
Debut and Rising Star Moment
In Round 12 of the 2009 AFL season, Liam made his AFL debut. He played against Essendon at Etihad Stadium on a Friday night. He kicked an amazing goal while falling to the ground. He also had two long kicks at goal that were touched on the line.
In Melbourne's Round 15 win against Port Adelaide, Liam scored four goals. He also helped set up many other goals. Because of his great performance, he was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award. Even though the Demons team had a tough time winning games, Liam became a bright spot for their fans. People started calling him the "Warlpiri Wizard" because of his exciting style of play. He continued the tradition of highly skilled Indigenous forwards, like the original Demon "Wizard" Jeff Farmer.
Returning Home and Injury
In November 2009, Liam returned to Yuendumu. He went with the Melbourne president Jim Stynes and TV presenter Tim Watson. This trip was a chance for Liam's family and friends in Yuendumu to celebrate his achievements. It was also a chance for the Melbourne Football Club to see where Liam came from. A story about their visit was shown on the Channel 7 program Sunday Night.
Close to the start of the 2010 season, Liam needed surgery on his shoulder. He dislocated it after an awkward fall during a practice match against the Adelaide Crows. Chris Connolly from the Melbourne Football Club announced that Liam would be out of play for about 16 weeks.
Liam made a successful return to the senior Melbourne team. He spent several weeks playing with Melbourne's VFL team, the Casey Scorpions, to get back into shape. In his return game, a Round 15 win against Essendon, he kicked two goals.
Achievements and Awards
Football Awards
- AFL Rising Star nomination: Round 15, 2009
- Harold Ball Memorial Trophy, Melbourne FC best first-year player, 2009
- 2010 Mark of the Year winner
- 2011 Melbourne FC leading goalkicker (40 goals)
Other Awards
- Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year 2010
