James Gordon Krakouer (born 13 October 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the 1980s and '90s for North Melbourne and St Kilda in the VFL and Claremont in the WAFL. He is the father of former Richmond and Collingwood AFL player Andrew Krakouer and is renowned for his quickness, skill, courageous play, and his ability to pass to his brother Phil from seemingly almost any position. His career, however, has been overshadowed by his extensive criminal history. Early life in Mount Barker Krakouer made his senior football debut for North Mount Barker in 1974 at the age of 15, kicking five goals. In September 1974, Jim and a cousin were charged with rape, and despite claiming that the sex was consensual, they were convinced by their lawyer to plead guilty and were sentenced to two years imprisonment, with a six-month minimum. They were incarcerated in a juvenile prison 300 kilometres from Mount Barker in Bunbury. Upon his release, Krakouer returned to Mount Barker and, despite having missed a third of the football season, won the league's best and fairest award by five votes. The following year, only three weeks after gaining his driver's licence, he crashed his car into a road worker and was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and sentenced to 18 months in jail. While in prison, this time near Mount Barker, he was once allowed to play football for North Mount Barker on day release, but this caused outrage in the Albany community. Claremont career Krakouer moved to Perth to play for Claremont in the WAFL in 1977. At first, he played in the junior Colts team, but by July the league team's poor form had prompted the club president Wal Maskiell to ask that Krakouer be given a game in the league team. He performed well and maintained his position in the side for the rest of the season. In 1978, his brother Phillip joined him at Claremont, and they both had a successful season. Jim was named in the state squad, and Phil scored more goals than any other debutant. Jim made his interstate debut in 1979, a year before Phil. They played their first state game together in 1981, in an 87-point win over South Australia, with Jim and Gary Buckenara sharing the Simpson Medal as best players. In October 1981, in Jim and Phil's last game for