Jim Krakouer
Encyclopedia
James Gordon "Jim" Krakouer (born 13 October 1958 in Mount Barker, Western Australia
) was an Australian rules football
er in the 1980s for North Melbourne
and St Kilda in the VFL
and Claremont
in the WAFL
. He is the father of former Richmond
and current Collingwood
AFL
player Andrew Krakouer
and is renowned for his quickness, skillful and courageous play, as well as the ability to pass to his brother Phil
from almost any position.
. Upon his release, Krakouer returned to Mount Barker and despite having missed a third of the football season, won the league's best and fairest
award by 5 votes. The following year, only three weeks after gaining his driver's licence, he crashed his car into a road worker and was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and sentenced to 18 months jail. Whilst in prison, this time near Mount Barker, he was once allowed to play football for North Mount Barker on day release, but this caused great outrage in the Albany community.
in the WAFL
in 1977. At first he played in the junior Colts team, but by July the league team's poor form had prompted the club president Wal Maskiell to request that Krakouer be given a game in the league team. He performed well and maintained his position in the side for the remainder of the season. In 1978 his brother Phillip joined him at Claremont and they each had a successful season. Jim was named in the state squad and Phil scored more goals than any other debutant. Jim would make his interstate debut in 1979, a year before Phil. They would play their first state game together in 1981, in an 87 point win over South Australia, with Jim and Gary Buckenara
sharing the Simpson Medal
as the best player.
In October 1981, in what would be Jim and Phil's last game for Claremont, they are part of Claremont's WAFL Premiership side, beating the 1980 premiers, South Fremantle
.
being the North Melbourne coach and the contract being guaranteed, rather than performance based.
In their second season in the VFL, Jim and Phil would each kick 44 goals to share the leading goalkicker award at North Melbourne. Jim was awarded with the Syd Barker Medal
for North Melbourne club best & fairest in 1986 and topped the goal kicking again in 1986 and 1988 with Phil being the leading goalkicker in 1985 and 1987.
The Krakouer brothers were praised for their highly skillful play and the manner in which they often passed to each other from almost any position. In one match report in 1986 they were referred to as the Pelé
and Maradona of the VFL.
He was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century
in 2005.
Mount Barker, Western Australia
Mount Barker is a town on the Albany Highway and is the administrative centre of the Shire of Plantagenet in the Great Southern region of Western Australia...
) was an Australian rules football
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 1980s for North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
and St Kilda in the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and Claremont
Claremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
in the WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
. He is the father of former Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
and current Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
player Andrew Krakouer
Andrew J. Krakouer
Andrew James Krakouer is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League . He previously played for the Richmond Football Club in the AFL and played for Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League .-Early life:Krakouer is the son...
and is renowned for his quickness, skillful and courageous play, as well as the ability to pass to his brother Phil
Phil Krakouer
Phillip Brent "Phil" Krakouer is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club during the 1980s. Notable for his speed, freakish skills and an uncanny ability to pass the ball to his brother, Jim Krakouer, who also played for North Melbourne...
from almost any position.
Early life in Mount Barker
Krakouer made his senior football debut for North Mount Barker in 1974 at the age of 15, kicking five goals. In September 1974, Jim and a cousin were charged with rape, and despite claiming that the sex was consensual, they were convinced by their lawyer to plead guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment, with a six month minimum. They were incarcerated in a juvenile prison 300 km away from Mount Barker in BunburyBunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
. Upon his release, Krakouer returned to Mount Barker and despite having missed a third of the football season, won the league's best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
award by 5 votes. The following year, only three weeks after gaining his driver's licence, he crashed his car into a road worker and was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and sentenced to 18 months jail. Whilst in prison, this time near Mount Barker, he was once allowed to play football for North Mount Barker on day release, but this caused great outrage in the Albany community.
Claremont career
Krakouer moved to Perth to play for ClaremontClaremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
in the WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
in 1977. At first he played in the junior Colts team, but by July the league team's poor form had prompted the club president Wal Maskiell to request that Krakouer be given a game in the league team. He performed well and maintained his position in the side for the remainder of the season. In 1978 his brother Phillip joined him at Claremont and they each had a successful season. Jim was named in the state squad and Phil scored more goals than any other debutant. Jim would make his interstate debut in 1979, a year before Phil. They would play their first state game together in 1981, in an 87 point win over South Australia, with Jim and Gary Buckenara
Gary Buckenara
Gary Buckenara played Australian rules football for the Hawthorn Football Club in the VFL during the 1980s.Buckenara first played senior football for Subiaco in the WAFL from 1979 to 1981. Subiaco agreed to lease him for three years for $210,000 and after a court case began his career at Hawthorn...
sharing the Simpson Medal
Simpson Medal
The Simpson Medal, a prize for Australian rules football, has been donated by Dr. Fred Simpson and family since 1945. It is awarded to the best player in a WAFL Grand Final and the best player in an interstate game involving Western Australia....
as the best player.
In October 1981, in what would be Jim and Phil's last game for Claremont, they are part of Claremont's WAFL Premiership side, beating the 1980 premiers, South Fremantle
South Fremantle Football Club
The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...
.
North Melbourne career
After being pursued by both Geelong and North Melbourne, the Krakouer brothers signed with North Melbourne on a three year contract worth a total of $750,000. The main reasons for choosing the Kangaroos over Geelong were due to West Australian football legend Barry CableBarry Cable
Barry Cable is an Australian former Australian rules footballer who played in the West Australian National Football League and Victorian Football League . Cable played as a rover. He won the Sandover Medal three times while playing with the Perth Football Club.-Club career:Cable played 225 games...
being the North Melbourne coach and the contract being guaranteed, rather than performance based.
In their second season in the VFL, Jim and Phil would each kick 44 goals to share the leading goalkicker award at North Melbourne. Jim was awarded with the Syd Barker Medal
Syd Barker Medal
The Syd Barker Medal is awarded to the North Melbourne Football Club player who has been judged the best and fairest of the footy season. The award has been given out continuously since 1937. Before then it was known as the Syd Barker Memorial Trophy....
for North Melbourne club best & fairest in 1986 and topped the goal kicking again in 1986 and 1988 with Phil being the leading goalkicker in 1985 and 1987.
The Krakouer brothers were praised for their highly skillful play and the manner in which they often passed to each other from almost any position. In one match report in 1986 they were referred to as the Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
and Maradona of the VFL.
He was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century
Indigenous Team of the Century
The Indigenous Team of the Century was selected to recognise the role of Indigenous Australians in the sport. It was announced in 2005 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first senior game played by an indigenous player, Fitzroy's Joe Johnson...
in 2005.