Nathan Djerrkura
Encyclopedia
Nathan Djerrkura is an Australian rules football
er in the Australian Football League
(AFL). He was drafted to the Geelong Football Club
in 2006
and played four games for them before being traded to the Western Bulldogs
during the 2010 Trade Week
.
and Jenny Djerrkura in the indigenous
community of Yirrkala, Northern Territory
on 19 September 1988. He is of Indigenous Australian heritage and his ancestry can be traced to the Yolngu
. His father, Gatjil, was a former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
(ATSIC) chairman before his death from a heart attack in May 2004.
Djerrkura attended Scotch College, Melbourne
on an Indigenous scholarship.
, Djerrkura is a highly rated young midfielder with a great work ethic and a strong body for his size. He gets a lot of hard ball gets and can kick goals when required. He has lightning pace and provides strong tackling pressure in the forward line. He was one of the best prospects from the Northern Territory
in 2006, and was featured on SBS
in a draft special.
Djerrkura played 2 NAB Cup
matches in 2007, and was close to making his debut in Rounds 1 and 2 after strong reserves
form, until he received a setback when he was injured early in the season playing football in the VFL.
Djerrkura's nickname is Djidi which means "black magic." http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/03/21/2308_geelong_sports.html
Djerrkura participated in the 2008 AFL Grand Final
sprint, coming 1st in his heat and going on to come 3rd overall.
On 8 October 2010, he was traded to the Western Bulldogs in a deal which would see Geelong pick up draft pick 57.
Individual:
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). He was drafted to the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
in 2006
2006 AFL Draft
The 2006 AFL Draft is a recent national draft of the Australian Football League. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League....
and played four games for them before being traded to the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
during the 2010 Trade Week
2010 AFL Draft
The 2010 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These are the Trade Week; held between , the National Draft; held on the , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .This is the first national draft to feature the...
.
Early life
Nathan Djerrkura was born to GatjilGatjil Djerrkura
Gatjil Djerrkura OAM was an Aboriginal leader and indigenous spokesman in the Northern Territory and Australia.He was a senior elder of the Wangurri Aboriginal clan of the Yolngu people...
and Jenny Djerrkura in the indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
community of Yirrkala, Northern Territory
Yirrkala, Northern Territory
Yirrkala is a well-known indigenous community in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia, at , 18 km South-East from the large mining town of Nhulunbuy...
on 19 September 1988. He is of Indigenous Australian heritage and his ancestry can be traced to the Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
. His father, Gatjil, was a former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives...
(ATSIC) chairman before his death from a heart attack in May 2004.
Djerrkura attended Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
on an Indigenous scholarship.
AFL career
Taken at pick 25 in the 2006 National AFL Draft2006 AFL Draft
The 2006 AFL Draft is a recent national draft of the Australian Football League. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League....
, Djerrkura is a highly rated young midfielder with a great work ethic and a strong body for his size. He gets a lot of hard ball gets and can kick goals when required. He has lightning pace and provides strong tackling pressure in the forward line. He was one of the best prospects from the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
in 2006, and was featured on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
in a draft special.
Djerrkura played 2 NAB Cup
2007 NAB Cup
-Knock-Out Chart:- Final Placings :1. Carlton 2. Brisbane 3. Geelong 4. North Melbourne 5. Port Adelaide 6. Hawthorn 7. Fremantle 8. Western Bulldogs 9. Adelaide 10. Essendon 11. St. Kilda 12. Melbourne 13. Sydney 14. Richmond 15. West Coast...
matches in 2007, and was close to making his debut in Rounds 1 and 2 after strong reserves
VFL
VFL can refer to:Sport* Victorian Football League, an Australian rules football league formerly known as the Victorian Football Association prior to 1996....
form, until he received a setback when he was injured early in the season playing football in the VFL.
Djerrkura's nickname is Djidi which means "black magic." http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/03/21/2308_geelong_sports.html
Djerrkura participated in the 2008 AFL Grand Final
2008 AFL Grand Final
The 2008 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between the Geelong Football Club and the Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on the 27th of September 2008...
sprint, coming 1st in his heat and going on to come 3rd overall.
On 8 October 2010, he was traded to the Western Bulldogs in a deal which would see Geelong pick up draft pick 57.
Honours
Team:- VFL Premiership (Geelong): 2007
Individual:
- Under 18 All-Australian (2006)
- Represented Northern Territory Under 18 (2006)
- Represented Indigenous All-Stars (2009)