Cockatoo was born in the
Northern Territory into a family of
Indigenous Australian descent (
Jupangati and
Marrithiyal) and was raised in the small town of
Humpty Doo. He began playing football at
Auskick level with the Humpty Doo Bombers. He played his junior football with
Southern Districts in the
NTFL and the
Northern Territory Thunder in the
NEAFL. He has strong family connections to
Queensland, with his surname deriving from his great-great-great grandfather, who was known as 'Old Man Cockatoo' in the
Cape York Peninsula as well as three of his Queensland-based uncles
Che,
David and
Donald playing professional football in the
AFL. Several female cousins of his are also involved in the
Gold Coast Suns' developmental football academy. ==AFL career==