Nakia Cockatoo facts for kids

Nakia Cockatoo (born 23 October 1996) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for the Brisbane Lions and Geelong in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was known for his speed and strength on the field.

Growing Up and Early Football

Nakia Cockatoo was born in the Northern Territory of Australia. He comes from an Indigenous Australian family. He grew up in a small town called Humpty Doo.

Nakia started playing football when he was very young. He played for the Humpty Doo Bombers in a program called Auskick. Later, he played junior football for the Southern Districts Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL). He also played for the Northern Territory Thunder in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL).

Nakia has many family members who also played professional football. His great-great-great grandfather was known as 'Old Man Cockatoo' in Cape York Peninsula. Three of his uncles, Che, David, and Donald, played in the AFL. Some of his female cousins are also involved in football development programs.

Nakia's AFL Career

Nakia Cockatoo was chosen by the Geelong Football Club in the 2014 AFL Draft. He was the 10th player picked overall. This was a big moment for him!

He played his first AFL game in 2015 against Hawthorn. Nakia played for Geelong until the end of the 2020 AFL season. During his time at Geelong, he played 34 games and kicked 25 goals.

After the 2020 season, Nakia moved to the Brisbane Lions. He played 15 games for the Lions. He retired from professional football at the end of the 2023 season. In total, Nakia played 49 AFL games and kicked 32 goals across his career.

External Links

• Nakia Cockatoo's playing statistics from AFL Tables