How a Sudanese refugee nicknamed ‘Biggy’ is on track to realising his dreams of being an AFL star – and why his mother is his biggest inspiration
- St Kilda footballer Bigoa Nyuon, 18, has dreams of being drafted into the AFL
- His father was killed in the South Sudan civil war as his mother fled the country
- The football star expects to be recruited during the second round next week
A Sudanese refugee nicknamed ‘Biggy’ is hoping to become an AFL star after his family was forced to flee his war-torn home country when his dad was killed.
Bigoa Nyoun, 18, spent the first three years of his life in a refugee camp before moving to Australia in 2004 with his mother Mary.
The promising footballer’s family were separated between camps in Kenya and Ethiopia as they escaped South Sudan.
His father stayed back to fight and died in combat leaving Mary to move the children, and a few belongings, to Melbourne on her own.
Since arriving in Australia she has worked three jobs to provide for her family and Biggy now wants to dedicate his footy career to her.
The St Kilda Next Generation Academy footballer is hoping to break into the AFL next week.
‘I just want to make my family proud and play AFL and be on TV,’ Biggie told 7News.
Bigoa ‘Biggy’ Nyuon, 18, hopes to be drafted into the AFL on Thursday to make his family ‘proud’
Biggy said he has little memory of life before Australia but he is in awe of his mother’s actions.
‘You look back every now and then and just think “how did mum do this?”‘ he said.
Biggy joined an Auskick program to merge into Australian culture and soon realised his dreams of becoming an AFL star could come true after playing for the Rowville footy club, Dandenong Stingrays then St Kilda’s academy.
He looks up to Sudanese footballers Majak Daw and Aliir Aliir and is determined to become a Sudanese-Australian role model.
The teenager, who is managed by Julian Petracca, the brother of Melbourne Demons star Christian Petracca, expects to be drafted in the second round.
In August, Biggy came first in the 20metre sprint during the Victorian draft combine, beating this year’s other potential draftees.
Older brother Gach, 22, is currently on Essendon’s senior player list.
Biggy’s mother Mary took her seven children to Australia in 2004 to escape the civil war in South Sudan that claimed her husband’s life
The 18-year-old expects to be drafted in the second round after he came first in the 20metre sprint at the Victorian state draft combine in August
Biggie credits his older sister Nyadol, 32, a lawyer and human rights advocate, with playing a pivot part in his football aspirations as she stepped in to be his ‘father figure’ while he grew up.
Nyadol said the family would not be able to contain their excitement if Biggie is recruited.
‘We’ll be dancing and screaming and shouting so it’s going to be massive but whatever happens we’ll always be here for him,’ Nyadol said.
The Sudanese civil war, between 1985 until 2005, is estimated to have claimed one to two million lives.
The 2019 NAB AFL Draft runs from November 27 to November 28 with Adelaide expected to select six prospects, while Fremantle and Richmond recruit five each.