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How footy helped Buku Khamis adapt to Australian lifestyle
WHILE most draftees grew up with a football in their hands, in a city where AFL is a religion, Buku Khamis couldn’t have walked a more different path.
The under-18 All-Australian spent the first six years of his life living in war torn South Sudan before fleeing as a refugee with his parents and four brothers.
He didn’t touch a football for another six years after landing in Australia. But six years since experiencing Aussie Rules for the first time after visiting Etihad Stadium on a school excursion, the Western Jets defender is about to land on an AFL list.
It is an amazing journey that is about to get even better for the Western Bulldogs next generation academy member.
“I was six years old when I moved to Australia. At the start I found it very difficult to adapt to a new environment and the ways things are done here,” Khamis told foxfooty.com.au at the AFL draft combine.
“But once I learned how to speak English it made things easier and helped make friends. Footy has been really helpful; it has made me a better person and shaped who I am. It also keeps me occupied.
“It wasn’t until 2012 (that I started playing football), so it wasn’t straight away. We actually came to Etihad Stadium with my primary school for a footy game, and then after that I wanted to give it a go.”
On a Sunday afternoon midway through this winter, one of the most memorable match-ups of 2018 occurred at Etihad (now Marvel) Stadium.
It didn’t involve a superstar of the competition, it involved two Sudanese players — North Melbourne’s Majak Daw and Sydney’s Aliir Aliir.
Daw booted four goals under the roof, while Aliir collected 23 disposals, 10 marks and kicked the winning goal.
Khamis’ face lights up when he recalls the special moment, taking confidence from those who have walked the path before him.
“I was watching that game at home and it was actually a really cool moment having two Sudanese players going at, playing on each other and they both had really good games,” he said.
“It gave me the confidence that that could be me one day. It was really good to see.
“I’ve met Majak through the academy camps and had a bit to do with him. He has been really helpful and someone who is a great role model for me and to the south Sudanese community.”
After spending a month training at Whitten Oval last summer as a member of the Bulldogs’ next generation academy, Khamis has had a chance to take a peek behind the curtain.
And what he has saw he loved.
Now, he is desperate to get an opportunity, regardless of whether that is at Luke Beveridge’s team or elsewhere.
“I did a month of the pre-season at the Bulldogs and that was pretty surreal being around the players and seeing how they get things done over there,” he said.
“It just gave me an eye-opening experience that it could become a reality by the end of the year. I now know what I’m working for and what the end goal actually looks like. I did a fair bit of the training.”
WHILE most draftees grew up with a football in their hands, in a city where AFL is a religion, Buku Khamis couldn’t have walked a more different path.
The under-18 All-Australian spent the first six years of his life living in war torn South Sudan before fleeing as a refugee with his parents and four brothers.
He didn’t touch a football for another six years after landing in Australia. But six years since experiencing Aussie Rules for the first time after visiting Etihad Stadium on a school excursion, the Western Jets defender is about to land on an AFL list.
It is an amazing journey that is about to get even better for the Western Bulldogs next generation academy member.
“I was six years old when I moved to Australia. At the start I found it very difficult to adapt to a new environment and the ways things are done here,” Khamis told foxfooty.com.au at the AFL draft combine.
“But once I learned how to speak English it made things easier and helped make friends. Footy has been really helpful; it has made me a better person and shaped who I am. It also keeps me occupied.
“It wasn’t until 2012 (that I started playing football), so it wasn’t straight away. We actually came to Etihad Stadium with my primary school for a footy game, and then after that I wanted to give it a go.”
On a Sunday afternoon midway through this winter, one of the most memorable match-ups of 2018 occurred at Etihad (now Marvel) Stadium.
It didn’t involve a superstar of the competition, it involved two Sudanese players — North Melbourne’s Majak Daw and Sydney’s Aliir Aliir.
Daw booted four goals under the roof, while Aliir collected 23 disposals, 10 marks and kicked the winning goal.
Khamis’ face lights up when he recalls the special moment, taking confidence from those who have walked the path before him.
“I was watching that game at home and it was actually a really cool moment having two Sudanese players going at, playing on each other and they both had really good games,” he said.
“It gave me the confidence that that could be me one day. It was really good to see.
“I’ve met Majak through the academy camps and had a bit to do with him. He has been really helpful and someone who is a great role model for me and to the south Sudanese community.”
After spending a month training at Whitten Oval last summer as a member of the Bulldogs’ next generation academy, Khamis has had a chance to take a peek behind the curtain.
And what he has saw he loved.
Now, he is desperate to get an opportunity, regardless of whether that is at Luke Beveridge’s team or elsewhere.
“I did a month of the pre-season at the Bulldogs and that was pretty surreal being around the players and seeing how they get things done over there,” he said.
“It just gave me an eye-opening experience that it could become a reality by the end of the year. I now know what I’m working for and what the end goal actually looks like. I did a fair bit of the training.”
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