Alou Kuol

While he has been a fixture in A-League football for a while now, Kuol’s journey continues to inspire an entire generation of Shepparton kids who now believe the global stage isn’t so far away after all.

For those who watched him tear through defences in the Goulburn Valley, Kuol’s ascent always felt imminent.

A powerful forward with an edge, he wasn’t the most polished product when he first emerged, but he made up for it with tenacity, athleticism, and a nose for goal.

In 2019, wearing the colours of the Goulburn Valley Suns, Kuol claimed the National Premier League Two golden boot — the first true breakthrough moment of his career.

Still, it wasn’t all smooth from there.

Despite trialling with A-League clubs Melbourne Victory and Western United that same year, both passed on signing him.

For many, that might have been the end of the dream.

For Kuol, it was fuel.

Later in 2019, the Central Coast Mariners took a chance. And Kuol delivered.

He made his debut in Gosford the following year, impressing with his work rate, physicality and eye for goal.

His performances caught the attention of European scouts, and in April 2021, German Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart signed him.

His time in Germany was lined with the ruthless edge of European professionalism, as Kuol made just one senior appearance for Stuttgart in two years.

But even that single match represented something extraordinary: a Shepparton-raised refugee playing in one of the world’s elite leagues.

Antonita, his mother, reflects on how far he has come.

“I’m very proud of him,” she said.

“When we started at St Brendan’s Primary School back in Shepparton, we never knew he could go this far.”

That school — and the community around it — played a pivotal role.

The Kuol family found more than just shelter in Shepparton; they found support, belonging, and belief.

“The community support is really important,” Antonita said.

“When you take them (to the ground), sometimes you can’t wait until they finish training, but around them is people who know them and supporting them. It was very supportive in Shepparton, yes.”

While the Bundesliga stint may not have fulfilled every expectation, it broadened Kuol’s footballing education.

During his German junket, Kuol was selected in the Australian under-23 team for the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup where he blew up social media by scoring with a scorpion kick in a 1-1 draw with Iraq.

He was then named as nominee for the coveted Puskás award for his acrobatic effort.

In 2023, in a kind of poetic return, he re-signed with Central Coast Mariners — brought back by then-coach Nick Montgomery, the same man who helped him find his feet the first time around.

“It’s beautiful the way ‘Monty’ brought him back again to us,” Antonita said.

“We’re so grateful to have him and happy to go to his games all the time and watch him. It’s really good, really nice.”

Back in Australia, Alou hasn’t missed a beat — regaining form and confidence, still possessing that unmistakable Kuol spirit on the pitch.

He has since signed for fellow A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers, and even now, amid the grind of professional football, Shepparton remains central to his identity.

He returns often, keeps in touch with old mates, never forgetting where it began.

It’s fitting, then, that his hometown hasn’t forgotten either.

The Junior Honour Roll induction may celebrate his footballing rise, but it also honours the character of a young man who carried the hopes of a family, inspired a younger brother, and made his mark far beyond his postcode.