Footy star Changkuoth Jiath reveals he would have either died or became a child soldier if it wasn’t for his parents

Hawthorn defender Changkuoth Jiath has opened up about his turbulent childhood in Africa, revealing that he would have either died or became a child soldier if it wasn’t for his parents.

Before he was born, the footy star’s mum and dad fled South Sudan on foot as a violent civil war erupted around them.

They walked frantically for a week in search of safety and a better future, with no idea of where they would end up.

Jiath, known as ‘CJ’, was born in an Ethiopian refugee camp and would go on to spend his next six years there, waiting to be accepted by a country.

They eventually resettled in Australia in 2011, with the family moving to Dandenong on Melbourne’s eastern outskirts among a sizeable South Sudanese community.

Changkuoth Jiath (pictured) says he would have either died or became a child soldier if it wasn’t for his parents who fled South Sudan during the Civil War

Hawthorn star was eventually resettled in Australia in 2011 – and he soon fell in love with footy

‘This world that is happening in Sudan is so different to Ethiopia, but then also, the refugee camp in Ethiopia is so different to Australia. It’s three different worlds,’ Jiath said on Channel 7’s Unfiltered.

‘It’s not always guaranteed that you’re going to live if you flee Sudan, because most of the time, you don’t know where you’re going. 

‘You’re trying to find somewhere to survive and get away from what’s happening there.

‘It’s definitely not always a guarantee you’ll live.’

Jiath says he owes his parents everything for making the decision to leave.

‘If my parents stayed in Sudan, I wouldn’t be here today. It’s either you become a soldier, or you die, that’s it,’ he said.

‘To have the Australian Government grant us as refugees was a special day for us.’

‘… I want to celebrate how fortunate I have it here in Australia and how fortunate we are as a family.’

Jiath (pictured with Hawks teammate Jack Ginnivan) said he’s very fortunate to have landed in Australia and wants to celebrate his life down under

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell (pictured) has has a huge impact on Jiath’s career

Sport became a big part of the youngsters life and he soon found himself kicking around a Sherrin on the playground.

‘It was so much fun,’ said Jiath.

‘Obviously looking at the ball it was the weirdest shape ever. Like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life.

‘…from when I first played footy, I just fell in love with it.’

The young gun later played for the Morewell Tigers, Gippsland Power and later Xavier College.

The Hawks signed him in 2018 as a Category B Rookie and the rest is history.

Jiath says the biggest turning point of his footy career was in 2020 when new coach Sam Mitchell pulled him aside and asked him why he wasn’t playing ‘consistent AFL footy’.

‘That was the turning point of my career,’ Jiath said.

‘I went away from that conversation, (took) a hard look at myself, and really tried to understand how come I’m not. 

‘From then, I was doing everything differently, to the way I trained, to how I recovered, to the point where I wanted to be a different player.’