By Tyler Lewis
Bigoa Nyuon already knows what it takes to thrive at the highest level.
Born in Sudan and moving to Australia when he was just three, the St Kilda Next Generation Academy prospect has been exposed to what needs to be done to perform at the highest level.
From his first days of Auskick as a youngster, Nyuon knew it was the path he wanted to take – all the way to his early days as a teenager when he decided to move schools to enhance his chances of fulfilling his dreams.
“I decided to make the switch to Rowville (Sports Academy), I think coming to Rowville I was 60 odd kilos, to what I am now,” he told the Journal.
“I just thought it would better my football and not only that, the education isn’t too bad there as well. I have had the opportunity to do heaps of training, heaps of gym and other stuff the everyday football player wouldn’t get.
“Just having that privilege at Rowville worked out well, they also make a pretty big balance with education.”
Once moving schools, it didn’t take long before the electric utility was on AFL club radars, none more so than St Kilda.
Becoming a part of the club’s academy, the Saints have first priority to Nyuon in the National Draft and allow him to train with them to enhance his footballing capabilities, an opportunity he has cherished while learning many things and being taken under the wing of a youngster who is likened to hold the club’s future in good stead.
“I got introduced to the program in under-15s, I think that was the first time they opened up the next gen academy,” he said.
“They (St Kilda) came to one of my training sessions in the 15s at Frankston for the Dandenong Stingrays. They had a chat to me, obviously being a younger kid you couldn’t help but smile, you almost jump around.
“Keeping the intensity up 24-7, it is probably something you don’t have to do when you are playing kids your age or a bit younger.
“When you get to the level, everyone is the same – the only thing that can pick you out is pretty much the effort and intensity, that is something I picked up early.
“Max King, although it was his first year last year, he has sort of guided me along the way as well. We (other Stingray players apart of the academy) were here for his first week, he has just been keeping track of me throughout the year and just telling me to stay focused and whatnot.”
Nyuon’s older brother Gach has been through the AFL system, drafted to Essendon in 2015, and the experience his older brother went through four years before himself has given him opportunity to learn the standards of the highest tier of football.
“From a young age I was exposed to a lot of elite football through my brother going through the academy and Vic Country,” he said.
“I learned that professionalism is an expectation at that level. If you are not professional or your effort is not there, you are not going to go very far with your football, even if you are the most skilled player there.”
Being a next-gen product, Nyuon has already been exposed to media hype, and after his combine performances the athletic Stingray has been under the microscope coming into the all-important draft, but the spotlight doesn’t faze Nyuon as he doesn’t want to set anything in stone.
“You have to take into consideration it is actually their job to do that so you don’t need to think too much into it,” he said.
“You do see the regular article saying ‘You are going to the Saints’, but I try not to put too much thought into it.
“At the end of the day you never know where you are actually going to go. For example, Irving Mosquito was at Hawthorn and everyone thought he was going to the Hawks because he was a part of the next gen but he ended up going to the Bombers.
“You can never tell, and never be too sure, so (I) don’t pay too much attention to it.”
At the State Combine, Nyuon had one of his most promising performances, finishing third in the running vertical jump, and finishing first in the 20 metre sprint, beating all competitors including the previous performers at the national combine – but for Nyuon it was more of a relief than anything else.
“I missed seven weeks after Nationals, I was a bit flat, I thought I had missed all of my opportunities with injuries,” he said.
“I managed to string along some good games at the back end of the year and got picked for the Combine. Once I tested pretty well, I was extremely happy.
“It gave me a bit more confidence that there is still some hope there and I could still be drafted.”
The National Draft kicks off on 28 November with the first round, trailed by the other rounds and the rookie draft on the following day.
