Landing in Melbourne with 20 dollars after buying a one-way ticket out of Perth, Akec Makur Chuot eventually found her way to Richmond and became an original AFLW Tiger. The stories either side of these life milestones are remarkable.
In the eighth episode of The Originals podcast Makur Chuot describes her early life vividly, and the perspective her experiences provide still. Now 27, Makur Chuot spent her first 11 years either in a refugee camp in South Sudan, or in transition. Once she’d arrived in Australia with her family she felt unafraid and simply trusted that all would be well.
The Originals: Episode 8 - Akec Makur Chuot interview
Written and presented by award-winning journalist and author, Sam Lane; subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify
Makur Chuot’s first exposure to Australian Rules footy was in Perth where the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle men’s teams caught her attention as she absorbed a new country and cultures. This ultimately led to Makur Chuot joining in a particularly willing football training session that subsequently propelled her to places she could never have imagined.
Picked to represent Western Australia in a state women’s match, Makur Chuot went from watching men playing on television to lining up - in the ruck - on a field with now-AFLW stars Chelsea Randall, Daisy Pearce and Kara Antonio. She remembers being winded as she learnt the ropes, sent into a ruck contest against current day Geelong leader and Western Bulldogs premiership player, Aasta O’Connor.
“I didn’t know what being winded was. And I thought I’d died. It was epic,” Makur Chuot laughs.
By 2017 she was an inaugural AFLW player for Fremantle before moving east; initially lured by Carlton to play in the Victorian Women’s Football League before joining Richmond’s VFLW program and, by late 2019, drafted onto the Tigers’ original AFLW list.
“It was a very hard decision to leave my mum,” Makur Chuot says.
“I had just enough money for a one-way ticket to Melbourne, bought three bags and then I had 20 dollars left in my account.
“But we came to Australia with zero dollars.
“I think I’ve learnt from my mum you just make things happen. If one thing didn’t work you try a different way.
“I think that’s why I wasn’t scared because I knew I had two hands, two legs and for me I said I could go and make something. I could go and get a job and live!”
Initially, Makur Chuot moved into a cousin’s home in Melbourne, living there for seven months. She later gained employment with AFL Victoria through a traineeship program. This led to her completion of a certificate four in business before a full-time job as an AFL multicultural development officer.
She has a big vision for, and strong desire to be part of, multi-cultural and refugee education in Australia.
“We can even go bigger and better to really include the community to make them feel like Australia is their home.
“Sometimes as a country we can pigeonhole people,” Makur Chuot says.
“There’s a whole movement and it’s a movement that started a while ago with Majak Daw and Aliir Aliir…and it’s been really good to see another African woman come through at Fremantle too, Roxy Roux.
“I say: have compassion. Compassion is what we need as a nation.”
The Originals podcast; charting the arrival of a new breed of Tiger.
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