Nakia Cockatoo facts for kids

Nakia Cockatoo (born October 23, 1996) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for two big teams, the Brisbane Lions and Geelong, in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Growing Up and Family Connections

Nakia Cockatoo was born in the Northern Territory in Australia. His family has Indigenous Australian roots. He grew up in a small town called Humpty Doo.

He started playing football at a young age with the Humpty Doo Bombers. Later, he played junior football for the Southern Districts in the NTFL. He also played for the Northern Territory Thunder in the NEAFL. These were important steps in his football journey.

Nakia has strong family ties to football. His great-great-great grandfather was known as 'Old Man Cockatoo' in Queensland. Several of his uncles, like Che, David, and Donald, also played professional football in the AFL. Some of his female cousins are also involved in football development programs.

Nakia's AFL Journey

Nakia Cockatoo was a highly-rated young player. He was chosen as the 10th pick in the 2014 AFL Draft by the Geelong Football Club. This meant Geelong thought he was one of the best young talents in the country.

He made his first appearance in the AFL in 2015. His very first game was against the Hawthorn team. He played for Geelong until the end of the 2020 AFL season.

After the 2020 season, Nakia moved to the Brisbane Lions. He played 15 games for the Lions. He decided to retire from professional football at the end of the 2023 season.