In 2008, Andrew Krakouer was sitting in a prison cell with a decision to make.
He had just been sent to jail for more than two years over a violent act, and as a father of two young daughters at the time, he wanted to turn things around.
"My children and my partner, they came out to see me every week. I remember that was hard for me and for my kids. I didn't want them to come in," he explains.
"I could remember visiting my own dad in prison, and it wasn't a good thing. It was great to see him, but it was still sad.
"To just to get out and be a dad again, and a good partner to Barbara, that was my driving force, that was my motivation."
Krakouer's incarceration had come after a couple of successful debut years in the AFL with Richmond FC, and after testing himself on the field, he knew that he had it within to overcome any adversity.
He knew he could get back to the top.
Family football legacy: Andrew Krakouer followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle when joining the AFL. Source: Supplied
The early days
The proud Minang and Inggarda man was born in Melbourne in 1983. His family had moved there from Western Australia so his father could play VFL for North Melbourne.
Although his father and uncle both made it to the professional level and were both legendary players in their own right, he admits it was never his goal to follow in their footsteps.
"I didn't feel pressure (to get into AFL) because I didn't realize how good dad and uncle Phil was. I suppose if I knew exactly their journey and how good of players they were, I would have felt it."
He had picked up a football around the age of 10, and played for Gladstone Park Kookaburras while in Melbourne, admitting that he "wasn't too bad."
It was only after showing a natural talent for the sport and becoming a father at a young age that the idea of playing footy seriously took hold.
"I got an opportunity through Gerard Neesham, the inaugural coach of the Fremantle Dockers, to go to Clontarf Aboriginal Academy in a football-based program in Western Australia that he had founded," he said.
"Even though I'd grown up in community and with family, I'd never been to an all-Aboriginal school, so that was exciting."
It was around this time he met his partner Barbara and opportunities to get picked up in the draft for AFL became apparent, but it was when he and Barbara welcomed their first daughter at the age of sixteen in '99 that his priorities really became clear.
"My first thought was, 'Okay, I've gotta get a job. I've got to take care of my responsibilities and look after my daughter and my partner.'"
On the way up
Seeing the teenager's dilemma, Gerard Neesham was able to convince him that footy could be a viable career and a way to look after his family, and shortly after he was picked in the draft by Richmond FC.
After getting acquainted with the intense demands of the elite level, from training schedules to the importance of diet and sleep, Krakouer had, by his third year of playing at the top, established himself as a regular player in the senior side of the club and was offered a 3-year contract in 2004.
But after a couple of successful years on the footy field, his life took a different turn.
Andrew Krakouer made his AFL debut with Richmond FC. He went on to have two successful seasons with the club Source: Supplied
A turning point
"In 2006, I was involved in an incident," Krakouer said.
"The impact of that incident didn’t only just affect me and my family, it also affected the victim and his family and loved ones as well.
My AFL career was hanging by a thread, but that was the furthest from my issues. I eventually had to go to court a few times, and though I was able to continue my football career, 2007 was a real blur."
In 2008 after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent and sentenced to 32 months in prison, the footballer was about to face his biggest challenge.
"From playing AFL footy for years to the next year sitting in a prison cell. The reality kicked in of me understanding what consequences my actions had.” he said.
He and his partner Barbara had since had another daughter, and his desire to be a good partner and father got him through his time in jail.
Any sport that was happening in prison he played. Boxing and weight training; whatever helped his body and his mind.
"To get me in a good mental space in not the best environment was really hard to do, but I just tried to remember an old cliche from football: 'You only control what you can control,'" he said.
"There was a lot of things I couldn't control while I was in prison, but certainly there were some things that I could control, and I tried to put all my time and effort into those things."
As part of reintegration to society, they were allowed out of prison to play football in a weekly Sunday comp.
It was the beginning of enjoying the game again for Krakouer and another opportunity to keep as physically fit as was possible.
Krakouer played his final three years of AFL with Collingwood FC before taking his experiences and knowledge to youth through mentoring and media appearances Source: Supplied
A new guernsey
After working hard and being granted parole in 2009, and feeling in good shape, Krakouer felt unsure about how others would perceive him.
But the Swan Districts club, who had shown interest and support after his being delisted by Richmond, offered him a spot on the team.
With pre-season just starting, he took to the field again.
"In my first training session, the coach and the players got around me and were happy for me to be down there, which was a huge relief. All I wanted to do from that stage on was to be able to repay the faith that the footy club and my teammates had in me," he explains.
After a hugely successful year on the field, helping his team win the grand final and picking up a bunch of awards for his playing efforts, including the Player of the Year and the WAFL Player of the Year, the AFL came knocking again.
Though he was content just playing footy and being a Dad, he decided to take the plunge and in 2011 signed with Collingwood.
"I was a lot better prepared this time around than I was going into Richmond in 2001. My body was in good shape, I was in good shape mentally, and I had some really good stability off-field as well."
This time around, the talented footballer decided to play and to leave the sport on his own terms, playing for 3 more years until it was time to hang up the boots.
"First year (with Collingwood FC) was really good." he says.
"Second year I did my ACL and struggled with some injuries. Then, there were a fair few off-field incidents within the footy club that has been documented around racism and things like that. In 2013 due to form and being out of favour with the senior coach, my AFL career came to an end of that season.”
After making the decision to leave the sport, he moved with his family back to WA and started doing construction work, as well as working with his community through mentoring and school programs with the Waalitj Foundation (formerly known as Wirrpanda) a foundation which aims to 'empower First Nations people through education, employment and business.'
Andrew and his partner Barbara are now happily settled back in Melbourne with four daughters.
Andrew Krakouer will bring his life and footy experience to TV screens in his new role as co-host of NITV's Yokayi Footy Source: Supplied
Fronting the camera
After several years in a different industry, and with a few media appearances under his belt, this week Krakouer joined Yokayi Footy as the new co-host alongside Megan Waters.
After being a guest panellist on several shows in the past few years including appearances on Marngrook and Colour of Your Jumper programs, it's an opportunity that he jumped at.
However, being in front of the camera hasn't always come easy.
"(When I was playing footy) any interviews, I'd try to palm off to someone else. I tried to get out of it as much as I could," he said.
"I didn't want to freeze up or look silly. It was just so foreign to me. It's interesting to see from how I was at that time to where I am now."
Krakouer brings a wealth of passion and knowledge for AFL to his new gig.
"(The whole Yokayi team) want to put a real Aboriginal cultural flavour to how we do things, that's our point of difference," he said.
"We can be footballers, we can be co-hosts, but we're always going to be Aboriginal people."
Ultimately, Krakouer says that the role offers an exciting opportunity for him.
"I'd like to bring myself and the knowledge and experience that I have gained through footy, but also my lived experience in my own personal journey, to be able to give back and support mob with issues that are relatable to community." he said.
A journey that's just begun its latest chapter.
Catch Andrew every week on Yokayi Footy, Wednesdays 8.30pm on NITV.
