Malakai Champion grew up surrounded by football, but chasing his AFL dream meant leaving behind the family and community that first taught him to love the game.
Growing up in Kalgoorlie, football was a family affair. Champion spent his childhood watching his dad, uncles and grandfather play before following them onto the field himself.
“Growing up, I would watch the AFL on a Friday night and then I would get up on Saturday morning to watch my family play, which gave me the idea that I love footy. From a young age I was just addicted to it,” he said.
At 15, that passion saw Champion move to Perth to join the Subiaco Football Club, hoping to pursue a future in football.
Leaving Kalgoorlie brought opportunity, but it also meant growing up away from the people and place he knew best.
“Moving to Perth as a fifteen-year-old, and not really knowing what I wanted to do, other than football, was tough,” Champion said.
Then came a loss that made an already difficult transition even harder.
“I was in the Futures squad with Subiaco when I first moved up and was staying at my auntie’s house,” Champion said.
“I was trying to adjust to a new city and football at a higher level, and then my dad passed away. That was probably the biggest challenge I had to face.”
At the time, Champion was surrounded by teammates who saw him navigate these challenges.
Former Subiaco teammate and close friend Tyler Senge was one of them.
He said Champion handled the transition “really maturely”.
“He came straight into a Subiaco team, where there were a few other boys from Kalgoorlie, which really helped him settle in.”
With that support, Champion found his feet in Perth.
“When I turned 17, I went out and got my own housing in Perth, which has been good ever since,” Champion said.
As Champion became more settled off the field, his football career gained momentum.
In 2024, Champion represented WA at the Under-18 National Championships before returning to Subiaco, where he made his league debut and kicked three goals.
For Senge, the talent behind that moment had been obvious from the beginning.
“We were doing a Colts versus Futures scratch match, and all the talk was about this kid from Kalgoorlie,” he said.
“From the first ball-up he won the centre clearance, and no one touched him. His speed and agility are insane, and he does the simple things right.”
Champion’s pathway to the AFL came through West Coast’s Next Generation Academy, now known as the Naitanui Academy.
The Naitanui Academy is a joint initiative with the AFL aimed at developing talented players and increasing football participation among Indigenous, multicultural and other under-represented communities.
After an impressive 2024 season, Champion was nominated by West Coast as an Academy prospect and joined the Eagles as a Category B rookie.
The Eagles had priority access to him as an NGA player, allowing the club to add him to its list ahead of the 2025 season.
For Champion, joining the Eagles was the next step in a journey that had begun years earlier in Kalgoorlie.
Champion spent the early part of 2025 playing WAFL football for the Eagles, producing consistent performances and working to develop his game.
On July 4, 2025, his form earned him a place in West Coast’s AFL side, where he made his AFL debut against Greater Western Sydney at Optus Stadium.
Rather than seeing the moment as the beginning of something new, Champion found himself thinking about everything that had brought him there.
“A lot of things went through my mind,” he said.
“My mum did the speech for me. She was amazing. Everything just came back in the blink of an eye.”
Yet his success did not distance him from Kalgoorlie.
Champion regularly returns home, spending time with friends and family and remaining involved in local football.
“I always love going back and being with my mates and family, watching footy carnivals, playing, umpiring, being part of it all just means so much,” he said.
His position has changed, however. Once the young player chasing the next level, Champion is now a role model for younger Indigenous footballers.
“I’m super proud to say that I’m a leader in the Indigenous community for younger kids looking up and wanting to play footy,” he said.
Senge witnessed that influence during a trip back to Kalgoorlie with Champion.
“You can see how much all the kids gravitate towards him. Everyone loves him,” Senge said.
“He’s a massive inspiration to young Indigenous kids, especially in Kalgoorlie. You walk around and just hear, Malakai, Malakai, Malakai.”
For Champion, that recognition comes with responsibility.
“It means a lot to represent not only myself but my family, my friends, and my culture,” he said.
“They’ve been there from the day I was born, and I don’t want to mess up or embarrass our family name.”
Champion left Kalgoorlie at 15 to chase his AFL dream, but the journey to the Eagles was shaped by much more than football.
Now, when he pulls on the Eagles jumper, he represents the people and community that helped shape him.
Champion left Kalgoorlie at 15 to chase his AFL dream. Now, when he returns, he does so as someone younger footballers are looking up to.
Ava Tavolaro
Ava Tavolaro - a journalism and broadcast media student with a passion for sports media.
