New Apollo Bay ruckman Nikau Joyce had never even heard of Aussie Rules football until two years ago.
The 25-year-old grew up in Hamilton on New Zealand’s North Island, where rugby was the dominant sport of choice for the masses.
But Joyce dedicated the majority of his early years to basketball, with a successful high school career at Hamilton’s Melville High School earning him three offers to play college basketball in the US.
“I was a full basketball-head back in New Zealand, training was pretty much my life in high school,” Joyce said.
“But at the end of high school I was in a predicament.
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Where To Buy“I didn’t know if I wanted to go to the states to pursue a scholarship – I got offers for (NCAA) Division II schools – but I went to play first-division basketball for Hawke’s Bay, which is the level below the national league.”
But Joyce’s stint with Hawke’s Bay lasted just one season before he needed a break.
“My life was basketball, and I just felt that basketball was all I knew,” he said.
It prompted Joyce to pack his bags and travel 2800 kilometres across the Tasman to start a new life in Apollo Bay.
His cousin Ayhla McKenzie, the wife of local plumber and former Bay footballer Michael McKenzie, helped him relocate.
These days Joyce is an apprentice plumber with McKenzie.
“I’ve been in Australia for almost two years, coming up in June,” Joyce said.
“I just wanted to try something new, I’d become a bit sick of the lifestyle that I had (in Hamilton), the same thing every weekend,” he said.
“I have a cousin over here so I moved over here and they’ve helped me find work and accommodation.
“At first I wasn’t too sure (about the Bay), but once I got to know a few of the boys I’ve become a lot more comfortable.
“I’ve definitely settled in now though.”
With work and accommodation sorted, getting involved in community sport was the next step.
But Joyce concedes that wasn’t easy.
He played three reserves football games across 2022 and ‘23 with Apollo Bay, before becoming a regular this season.
“I’d never heard of (Aussie Rules football), I didn’t even know it existed until I got over here,” he said.
“In Apollo Bay it’s pretty much all they play, there wasn’t much else to do on a Saturday so I’d go and watch.
“It wasn’t really my thing at first.
“But after a while I was missing sport so I played a few reserves games, started training and they asked me to play in the seniors.
“I’m definitely enjoying it more this year.
“Next year I want to do a full pre-season and see how I go.”
Joyce said he was slowly adjusting to Aussie Rules, but there were still a few things left to master.
“I still don’t know half the rules, or where I’m meant to be standing half the time,” he said.
“I still find it hard to kick straight, but other than that I think my skills are all right.”
Joyce and the Hawks will hunt their first win of the season when they travel to take on Otway Districts tomorrow.