The world of football is in mourning for the death of Andrew Krakouer, who died of an alleged heart attack in Perth on Sunday at only 42.
Born in Melbourne, he accumulated 102 games for Richmond from 2001 to 2007 before a prison sentence interrupted his AFL career.
Krakouer was sentenced to at least 16 months in prison for a serious assault in 2006, his younger brother was also imprisoned on his role in the attack.
However, he retaliated in the AFL after his release in parole in 2009, continuing to accumulate 35 games with Collingwood from 2011 to 2013.
Once his first -year career was over, he moved into construction and became a television host and a public speaker specializing in the sharing of the lessons he had learned during his roller coaster.
The football legend Nathan Buckley, who led to Krakouer at Collingwood, was devastated by the news.
Andrew Krakouer was only 42 years old when he died of an alleged heart attack in Perth on Sunday
After playing for the Richmond Tigers, Krakouer spent time in prison before resuscitating his career with Collingwood (photo)
“It’s tragic, so young at 42,” he said on Monday.
“What a brilliant footballer. A really calm and calm teammate, who was respectful and who did his duties.
“I really enjoyed the years with him, it’s really sad for his family and friends.
The news of Krakouer’s death is the fourth tragedy of this year to involve big football names that died young, coming in the heels of the death of the brother of Joel Selwood and the star of Brisbane Lions Troy, 40, in February.
The hero of the grand finale of the west coast, Adam Hunter, died at the age of 43, also in February, only a few days after the Essendon coach Dale lost his battle against blood cancer at the age of 59.
Krakouer excelled as a small striker with the Tigers, regularly presenting one of the club’s best goal boots after being taken with the 41st choice of the AFL 2000 draft.
His world fell in 2008 when he was found guilty of assault with the intention of causing bodily injury after an attack outside a nightclub in Fremantle in December 2006.
A man who previously had King Krakouer, Justin Martin, was left in a coma after the fight.
Nathan Buckley, who trained Krakouer (photo) was broken by the news and described the star as a “brilliant footballer”
Krakouer is represented outside the court in 2007 while he was facing a trial which saw him imprisoned for a nightclub fight which left a man in a coma
Krakouer shared the lessons of his career as a roller coaster and time in prison by becoming a public speaker after his retirement from Footy (photo)
Krakouer was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment and sentenced to a minimum of 16 months. His brother Tyrone was found guilty of a lesser accusation and imprisoned for at least eight months.
The star of Tigers and Magpies had two young girls at the time and fought when they visited him in prison.
“My children and my partner, they came to see me every week. I remember that it was difficult for me and for my children. I didn’t want them to enter, ”he told SBS in 2022.
“I remembered having visited my own father in prison, and it was not a good thing. It was great to see him, but it was always sad.
“To just go out and become a dad, and a good partner of Barbara, it was my driving force, it was my motivation.
As an entry into prison left a brand on Krakouer which changed his life forever.
“Once I was convicted after the court, it was so scary to go down and be transformed and walk in the cell, it seemed so surreal,” he said in 2019.
“I was thinking about 12 months ago that I was running while playing football and now I don’t have a future ahead of me and I don’t know what the future has in store for us.
“I didn’t really lift my head until I arrive at the cell and I heard some jingle keys and the door opens … I remember putting my hand on the door to see if we could move it. It was reality.
Krakouer is represented with Barbara Garlett, with whom he had two daughters
The star of Tigers and Magpies has become a retired television football program and even wrote a children’s book to help children whose parents were imprisoned
Krakouer devoted himself to boxing and bodybuilding to stay in shape in prison before being authorized to play Footy in an external competition on Sunday.
He was released in 2009 and joined the Perth Swan District Club when he took the first steps to resuscitate his AFL career.
Krakouer was appointed player of the year by his club and WAFL while playing a huge role in the direction of the team in a big final victory.
This opened the way when he returned to the elite with Collingwood in 2011, the season he took the brand of the AFL year with a spectacular seizure against the Corbeals of Adelaide.
“I was much better prepared this time that I was not going to Richmond in 2001. My body was in good shape, I was in good shape mentally and I also had very good out-of-phase,” Krakouer recalled.
Krakouer loved his football during this first year, but the following season he fought with a serious knee injury – and did not like the atmosphere inside the team.
“There were some off-scope incidents in the Footy club which were documented on racism and things like that,” he said, referring to the scandal that saw the Magpies accused of having a culture of systemic racism ” after allegations of bomberie were raised by former star Heritier Lumumba and others.
After his retirement, Krarkouer found work in the construction industry and as a mentor with indigenous programs.
In 2022, his career took a very different turn when he signed to host the SBS Yokayi Footy television program, and last year, he published a children’s book to help children whose parents were imprisoned.
“My father left” was inspired by Krakouer’s experiences as a prisoner – and by the imprisonment of his father Jim when he was only 13 years old.
The thoughts of many football fans were summarized by Krakouer’s teammate in Richmond, Grand Matthew Richardson.
“Rest in peace Andrew Krakouer. A handsome man who was loved by all his teammates ” wrote Richardson on X after the announcement of the news.
“You always greeted you with a hug and a smile. I love the girls of Jimmy and Andrew and his whole family. Very sad day.
