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Birthday: 8 May 1975
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ADAM MACDOUGALL
Joined Knights from Coffs Harbour, 1994. Two seasons with Sydney City
1995-96. Rejoined Newcastle 1997.
Eight State of Origin matches for NSW (1998-2000). Played centre in
Newcastle's grand final victory 1997.
Interesting Information
Favourite All Time Sportsperson Muhammad Ali
Favourite Other Sport Athletics, American Football and the Gym
Favourite Sporting Moment Winning 1997 ARL Grand Final
Dream Car Ferarri 350
Most Embarrassing Moment Playing in a TV game with no undies on
Favourite Cartoon Character Batman
Favourite Food Veal
Interests / Hobbies Sport, the beach and generally relaxing
Mad Dog - There are rumours 'Mad Dog' talks
to his thighs before and during a game and judging by the way he plays
the game it wouldn't be surprising. MacDougall is the ultimate professional
who treats every game like his life depends on it. A robust winger who
is just as comfortable running around opponents as he is steam-rolling
them. Played a starring role for NSW in the 2000 Origin series, gaining
man-of-the-match honours in the first game.
Stories about Mac Dougall's preparation abound. They blur, like
many Mad Dog yarns, between fact and myth, but given the subject it'd be
foolish to dismiss any of them. He's long been obsessed with keeping
his body finely tuned, but there are stories of how he eats every two hours
as dictated by his strict regime, getting up at 2am to chow down.
or how he'll carry a steak in his pocket. or a block of cheese in his glove
box. His pre match dressing room antics also border on legend.
They earned him a the Mad Dog tag. Team mates reckon they've heard
him psyching up his calves before a match, informing his legs of the job
ahead. When he was younger, he'd shoulder charge and palm off dressing
room walls. "You should see when I play rep football - you could
almost charge admission to the dressing room, I get on with all the
boys. I don't mind if they get a laugh out of me from time to time.
I usually laugh along with them."
His novel methods haven't always been appreciated. When MacDougall
returned to the Knights in 1997, he would often train, as he still does,
seperately to the rest of the team, joining them only for ball work.
While he'd always be doing more than required - he labels himself a 'closet
trainer' - it initally puzzled his peers. "He ruffled a few feathers.
His approach threw the boys." remembers Butterfield.
The Beginning - Mac Dougall is the eldest
of four boys, the son of Gilbert Mac Dougall, a former Wests, Balmain and
Manly Centre. Growing up in Manly, Mac Dougall played for Harbour
Diggers until his family moved to Cronulla - Caringbah,. he made
Australian touch teams and trained as a sprinter at the AIS, but it wasn't
long before he returned to football. Developing speed and strength
saw him gain the interest of scouts from St George and Newcastle in 1992.
but he's also been accepted into an economics degree in Coffs Harbour.
The next year he returned to Newcastle, he impressed in the lower grades
but coulnt' not break first grade. Phil gould enticed him to the
Roosters and he made him first grade debut in 1995, as an impact player
off the bench.
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MacDougall is probably one of the strongest players
in the NRL, his nic name Mad Dog signifies his playing style and power.
Mal Reilly said "MacDougall could probably increase his pace because a few leg operations curtailed his pre-season speed work `but I don't know if he could improve his strength. He'll break something in the gymnasium if he does.'
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Mad Dogs rise to stardom has been freakish and a credit to the work
he puts into his training. MacDougall was first spotted by the Knights
back in 1994 and he went on to feature in the under-21 team and reserve
grade sides. He then went to Easts in 1995 before returning to the Knights
in 1996.
Returning home from a training session one night, feeling tired.
Within hours, he was wrapped in blankets in front of fire. He spent
three weeks in intensive care. tests revealed him immune system had
deteriorated to a level where these were side effects of a more serious
condition. Mac Dougall played football again that year. Macdougalls
collapse in 96 was the result of a malfunctioning pituitary gland, rendered
useless, when he sustained a head high tackle in a trial match for Coffs
harbour in 93. A patient needs to suffer a head shot equivalent to
that of a car accident victim for the pituitary to stop working.
The high shot left him with a fractured skull, a compound fracture of the
nose and four broken teeth at the time. Extensive surgery was needed
to put his face back together.
The Knights picked MacDougall up for virtually nothing. The contract
was; give me an opportunity and I'll prove i'm worth it. "Who the
hell is this guy?' Paul Harragon wasn't saying it, but he was thinking
as much the first time he met Mad Dog. They were poolside at a Tamworth
motel, enjoying a few ales after a pre season match in 1997. Mac
Dougall had rejoined the Knights after two years at the Roosters, where,
under Phil Gould, he'd made his senior debut. Still, he was only
22 and had played just six games.
Harragon recalls jokingly, "You wouldn't have known it. "This
young kid, who hadn't achieved much just talked, and talked and talked,"
Remembering, MacDougall said, I'll be playing for Australia, State of Origin.
I'm a better winger that this guy. I was sitting back thinking "Who's
this bloke?"
By the end of the season, Macdougall would play a commanding part in
the Knights ARL premiership. Played for NSW in the state of origin
the following year, and made his Australian debut two years after that.
The next year, 1998, MacDougall was selected on the wing for NSW in
three matches and impressed with his powerful running and dynamic defence.
In July 1998, he became the third Knights player to test positive for a
banned substance. Facing an automatic 22 week suspension, it was
revealed during his appeal that MacDougal suffered a severe head injury
in 1993 which damaged his pituitary gland and it was essential that he
take prescribed medication called Sustanon 250 which included a banned
steroid. Without this drug he would not be able to live a normal
life, let alone play football. His appeal was dismissed and had to
serve out his suspension. MacDougal resumed his career in mid 1999,
with stringent guidelines in place to allow his use of a banned drug.
Knights - RLW - April 23, 1997
Adam Macdougall's dedication to fitness has proven infectious. With
MacDougall a tower of strength in the gym, many of his team mates are eager
to learn his secrets. The former Rooster has been only too happy to pass
on his dietary tips, which include a whopping seven meals a day. MacDougall
says, "Eating is a job. I know I'm giving myself the best chance, because
only about one percent of footballers have seven meals a day and I'm one
of them."
A typical day for MacDougall is as follows;
7am - protein shake, six boiled eggs, one cup of oats with skim milk
and fruit.
9am - tin of tuna, and one cup of rice,
10 - 11.30am - training
12 noon - protein shake, amino acids and sports drink.
2pm - tin of tuna and one cup of rice
4-6pm - training
6pm - protein shake, six boiled eggs, one cup of oats with skim milk
and fruit
8pm - steak and vegetables
10pm - protein shake
10.30pm - bed
MAD DOG - 17 Sep 1997, Newcastle
Herald
His team-mates christened him 'Mad Dog'?, probably because they didn't
understand what made him tick. He didn't drink, didn't punt and was at
home hitting the books while they were hitting the town. When he missed
most of this season with a seemingly untreatable ankle injury, many of
them gave up on him completely. He was different. But Adam MacDougall has
slowly won over his playing partners with his sheer speed, strength and
aggression - commodities which could help pilot the Newcastle Knights into
the Optus Cup grand final. The self-confessed 'outsider' has been accepted
as one of the boys, even if it means he's sipping on one of his favourite
Musashi health drinks while the rest of them are quaffing beers. 'I'm pretty
quiet and I don't drink and when you don't drink, it's hard to fit in straight
away into the football scene,' said MacDougall, who 'returned' to Newcastle
this season after two years with Sydney City.
The 22-year-old back-line behemoth was a member of Newcastle's under-21s
in 1994 but was offered the chance to play first grade with the Roosters.
'I love my other sports, my athletics and gym training and stuff like that,
while the other guys might enjoy a drink and a punt. 'The things I'm into
aren't married with a lot of what footballers are interested in. 'I go
to uni and we haven't got a lot of common interests except for football
but they're a great bunch of blokes up here. They're a very tight-knit
family Newcastle. 'A lot of the players have been here for a while and
it's like anywhere new you go, it's hard to fit in at first. 'But as the
year's gone along, they've accepted me for being a little bit different
and I'm finding it quite easy now to fit in. 'I'm feeling really comfortable
now but admittedly at first, it was hard to fit in because I was an outsider
as such.'
Veteran front-rower Tony Butterfield said MacDougall had earned the
respect of his team-mates because of his on-field intensity. MacDougall's
well documented ankle problems wiped out most of the season but what he
showed in the first few games, and has backed up since returning late in
the year, has vindicated the patience shown in him by coach Malcolm Reilly.
'He's a very motivated bloke and he's got his own techniques as to how
to get to that level of mental alertness,' Butterfield said. 'He's just
a wild bit of gear. We don't know him that well but we're starting to learn
his idiosyncrasies. He's blown a few of the boys away with his intensity.
But I'd rather have that intensity than not and some of the things he's
been doing recently are stamped with class and we hope he continues that
form.'
Some of his team-mates were worried he was going to tear down the dressing-room
walls before a recent match but MacDougall can't understand what all the
fuss is about. 'The boys think I'm mad. My nickname to them is 'Mad Dog'
but I don't consider myself to be mad,' he said. 'I think it just comes
down to competitiveness. I approach every game as a test of one's pride.
Mal says the same thing. You're on show and it's a matter of personal pride.
'You've got to fight for every inch you get, every tackle, and it is your
livelihood that someone else is trying to take away from you. 'I've got
a lot of personal drive and you've got to be a little bit agressive and
competitive and I suppose that's where I might get a bit more pumped up
than some blokes. It's just the way I am. 'I don't feel like I'm carrying
on like a wild bull. You might feel calm inside but your external body
language might paint a different picture. 'It's a very intense build-up
going into a game that's a contact sport at that level in front of a big
crowd. I'll admit it, you just get pumped.'
Having played only six games with the Roosters in 1995 because of ankle
problems and missing all of last year after discovering a life-threatening
blood clot on his brain, MacDougall is trying to make up for lost time.
His two tries in the semifinal against Parramatta two weeks ago helped
the Knights turn around an 18-0 deficit into a famous 28-20 victory.
When he began 1997 so well, MacDougall thought his luck had finally
changed for the better and was even tipped for representative honours.
Then he tore ligaments in his ankle and that meant another stint on the
sidelines, where the weeks became months and the frustration built inside
himself and among others at the club. 'It's been a difficult season for
him and it's been difficult for people around him to appreciate but certainly
he's come good at the right end of the season,' Reilly said. 'He's had
very little football but what he's doing is all quality.' MacDougall did
not endear himself to many at the club during his injury absence but he
found it easier to rehabilitate himself by himself. 'That's just me. I
love training,' he said. 'I grew up with my Dad running a gym and I was
always in State athletics as a kid and went to the Institute of Sport as
a sprinter. 'I've always had a hidden passion in athletics and weight-lifting
and that sort of thing. 'I don't see training as a chore and that's how
I address football. I do a lot of extra skillwork on my own too.
'When I got thrown on the wing this year, I knew that the high ball
was a challenge to me but I don't have any problems with it because it's
like any task. If you work on it, you can perfect it. 'Like anyone's job,
you get out of it what you put back into it and that's the approach I've
taken with rugby league. 'One day I hope to be one of the better players
running around. Playing rep football has been a lifelong ambition of mine.
'I remember the Johns brothers as younger blokes doing extra work and that
instilled the work ethic into me there and then.'
While he has managed only a handful of first-grade games this year,
the best of those came against North Sydney at Bear Park way back in Round
Two. The Knights lost 34-20 after Matthew Johns was sent off five minutes
into the match but MacDougall made everyone sit up and take notice with
his explosive speed and ability to bust tackles and is ready to repeat
that performance against the Bears in Saturday's preliminary final at the
Sydney Football Stadium.
'Losing to Manly might have been a blessing in disguise. They're a
great team Norths but I really think we can beat them,' he said. 'It's
a terrible thing but you learn more from a loss than a win. 'I know from
the weekend that I could have done some things a lot better and you learn
from that. 'As soon as the game was over I couldn't wait for Saturday to
come. 'When you win, you want to hold on to that feeling for as long as
you can but when you lose you've got that really bad taste in your mouth
and you want to dispense with it as quickly as you can.'
After three injury-ravaged years, no-one could begrudge MacDougall
a chance to erase his misfortune by being part of Newcastle's first grand
final team. 'Hopefully the worm's turned and I'll get a grand final out
of all the bad luck I've had,' he said. 'That's all I want. It would overcome
any disappointment I've ever had in my career. 'It would be great for the
town, it would just be awesome. 'I think I speak for all the boys when
I say we'd prefer to be carried off the field dead than lose to Norths
this weekend. 'We'll just push ourselves beyond any limit we've ever pushed
ourselves before.'
Second Serve 19 Sep 1997, Newcastle Herald
`He's just a wild bit of gear.' Knights prop Tony Butterfield's
succinct description of team-mate Adam MacDougall.`The boys think I'm mad.
My nickname to them is Mad Dog but I don't consider myself to be mad.'
MacDougall insists he's not crazy, just different.`I don't feel like I'm
carrying on like a wild bull. You might feel calm inside but your external
body language might paint a different picture.' MacDougall again, perhaps
explaining why the rest of the Knights are so taken by his pre-match intensity.
`I think I speak for all the boys when I say we'd prefer to be carried
off the field dead than lose to Norths this weekend.' MacDougall
reveals how much today's final means to the Knights.
There are many within rugby league who believe Mac Dougall shouldn't
be playing, although no coach or player is going to say on record.
A Sunday paper revealed last year that 60% of playerssurveyed for an NRL
players association poll objected to those with chronic conditions being
allowed to take the field with the aid of a banned substance. Mark
Carroll said, "Anyone can take something like that and look good."
Wendell Sailor said he'd proven an unusually strong opponent before being
suspended, and admitted some Queensland players are bewildered by his strength,
saying, "were saying he should be banned." after 2000 state of origin series.
The National Rugby League last year ruled that MacDougall could use the
banned product Sustanon 250 under the supervision of Newcastle doctor
Peter McGeoch to treat hypopituitarism following his return from a 22-match
drugs suspension.
MacDougall's big daddy of motivational films; Sun
Herald. Sep 28, 1997.
A BLACK and white film of the 1963 grand final between Wests and St
George has been getting plenty of work in the past few weeks. It's the
inspiration that has catapulted Knights centre Adam MacDougall into today's
grand final after a less than perfect year. MacDougall's father Gil, a
centre with Wests, scored a try in that match. "I have the film on video
and whenever I need some inspiration I get it out and watch it," MacDougall
said. "I have always felt proud knowing that my dad played in a grand final
and scored a try. "And here I am at least playing in a grand final. I have
to hope I can score a try. We have a ritual that before every game I have
a word with dad. He always has a few words of advice and it helps settle
me down."
Midway through the season, MacDougall's spirits were in the dumps courtesy
of an ankle injury that refused to mend. He subsequently opted for surgery.
"I started to despair of getting back on the paddock this season," he said.
"The doctors kept saying `next week' and every week they added another
week. Of course they were right. The ankle is fine now."
Since returning, he has been in great form, starring throughout the
Knights' finals campaign. But Gil MacDougall will be twice as busy as most
fathers today. As well as passing advice to Adam, Gil will lend a hand
to another son, Ben, who will play for Sydney City in the under-20s grand
final against Balmain. "Mum and my other three brothers will be there cheering
us on as well," Adam said. "This is a real family grand final," Adam said.
A river of emotion - Adam MacDougall
Newcastle centre Adam MacDougall wore his heart on his sleeve in the
Knights grand final triumph - and it helped lift him when Mal Reillys men
hit the wall against raging favourites Manly. Written on the strapping
around both his wrists in thick, black ink were the words. Family,
power, strength and belief. They're virtues MacDougall treasures,
and he admitted to looking down at the words for extra inspiration during
Newcastles against the odds triumph. "Family is everything to me.
We're all dedicating this win to the people of Newcastle, but above
all I'm dedicating it to my father Gil. He played in a few grand
finals and marked Reg Gasnier when St George rules... he didn't win
one, but he played a part in this.
MacDougall returned to football this season after he was forced to
sit out 1996 because of a life threatening blood clot which doctors initially
feared was a brain tumour. After playing six first grade grames for sydney
City and being earmarked by coach Phil Gould for a glorious future, MacDougalls
weight plummeter from 96 kg to 79 kg. He needed a two month stay
in Sydneys Sutherland Hospital. For most of that time he was on a
drip and relied on oxygen, blood thinning agents and anti inflammatories
to keep him alive. As a footballer he was quickly forgotten, a fact
that still sticks in his craw. MacDougall was given a search and destroy
mission by Mal Relly in the build up to the grand final - and the prey
was manly's international centre Terry Hill. "Mal Reilly told us
if we could get over Hill, then we'd win, I think we at least shared
the honours with him and the other boys did the rest."
Adam macDougall finally broke a family hoodoo when he took part in
the Knights premiership wine. MacDougalls father Gil, played in two
losing grand finals for West against St George in 1962 and '63.
While Adam was celebrating, his younger brother Ben was despondent after
playing in Sydney City's 13 - 12 loss to Balmain in the under 20's grand
final.
MacDougall's victory party dogged by injury;
Herald. Sep 29, 1997.
GRAND final hero Adam MacDougall was playing on pure courage yesterday
as he helped lead Newcastle to glory. MacDougall revealed after his
heroic performance that he would have to cut celebrations short, because
he was headed for a series of operations. He will go into hospital on Wednesday
so specialists can perform three operations. He will undergo operations
on both ankles and a knee. `I could hardly walk at the finish but I just
had to keep on going,' MacDougall said. `I have been worried by injuries
for most of the season but I was not going to miss out on this. `The doctors
told me I will need at least three operations to repair all the damage
done this year. `But I am not complaining. It won't hurt one bit. No operation
could worry me now.'
And with great justification. MacDougall kept reading and hearing how
Newcastle was `weak out wide' and that the Manly outside backs would `steamroll'
the Knights. `I was pumped up to make sure Terry Hill and the other Manly
backs got the biggest shock of their lives,' MacDougall declared.
He delivered. MacDougall was the one doing the steamrolling,
in attack and defence. Now MacDougall can give the one treasure he has
longed to present to his dad, Gil. Gil MacDougall scored a try in the 1963
grand final but came away a loser when St George beat the Western Suburbs
Magpies in an epic premiership decider. `Dad has not said much about that
loss but obviously it hurts,' he said. `But now we have a grand final victory
in the family and that is what it is all about.'
Stomped ARL star feared blindness - 30 Sep 1997,
The Age
Manly captain Geoff Toovey feared he was blinded when Newcastle centre
Adam MacDougall allegedly stomped on his face during Sunday's epic Australian
Rugby League grand final. MacDougall, still on a high after yesterday's
tickertape parade and rock concert in Newcastle, revealed he was "in shock
and upset" when Toovey rolled on the Sydney Football Stadium turf, yelling:
"I'm blind, I'm blind." Manly chief executive Frank Stanton lodged an official
complaint against MacDougall, and the ARL told the promising Knights' centre
to front the three-man judiciary tomorrow. Claiming he accidentally caught
Toovey's face with his boot while attempting a fast play of the ball, MacDougall
said the Manly captain's reaction sent him into shock. "I looked down and
he was holding his face and rolling around saying; 'I'm blind, I'm blind,"'
MacDougall said. "It scared me when he said that, I was in shock initially
because I knew my foot hit him somewhere but I didn't know where, so I
turned around and tried to help until their trainer turned up. Time stood
still. "I said I was sorry and waited for their trainer to get there -
it's still upsetting me because I don't want to be branded someone who
takes cheap shots." He said he was disappointed by comments from television
commentators Paul Vautin and Peter Sterling.
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Adam MacDougall 's nickname is "Stinky" and during the State of Origin camp the only person he would let call him that was coach Tom Raudonikis. |
Reilly makes time to discuss winger's future -
09 Oct 1997, Newcastle Herald
Knights winger Adam MacDougall is expected to discuss his future with
coach Malcolm Reilly this morning while the club considers whether to lodge
an appeal against the player's suspension. MacDougall was suspended
on Wednesday night by the Australian Rugby League judiciary until the third
round of next year's competition, having been found guilty of stomping
on the face of Manly captain Geoff Toovey in the grand final. Knights
football manager Dave Morley said the club had until next Wednesday to
lodge an appeal and was trying to come up with some fresh evidence. With
the Knights expected to announce a new major sponsor today, Reilly is interrupting
a holiday at Noosa to fly back to Newcastle and is making the most of the
brief return to meet with MacDougall. There was some confusion about
who was acting on MacDougall's behalf.
One Knights official was under the impression the giant winger was
no longer represented by leading player manager Sam Ayoub. But Ayoub said
he had met with MacDougall in Sydney yesterday and denied they had parted
company. Ayoub said he was still waiting for a formal offer from
the Knights for next season and did not mention today's scheduled meeting
with Reilly. He would not comment about speculation the three clubs
leading the race for MacDougall's signature were Sydney City, the winger's
previous club, Souths and Adelaide, but `there are definitely a few irons
in the fire'.
`Newcastle still haven't put anything to us at this stage and we're
waiting to hear from them,' Ayoub said. `There are a couple of clubs
showing interest in him and if we don't hear from the Knights by (today),
we'll be faxing them to ask what the situation is.' The Knights had
been waiting until after MacDougall's judiciary hearing before beginning
contract discussions with him, a stance Ayoub understood. Ayoub said
he was also waiting for an offer from the Knights for bench forward Scott
Conley `as there is an offer from another club on the table'. `They're
probably concentrating on (re-signing) the Johns boys at this stage and
I can understand that,' he said. MacDougall could not be contacted
for comment last night. Morley said discussions with second-rower
Troy Fletcher were continuing after `promising' talks with his manager,
Wayne Beavis, yesterday. The Johns brothers' manager, John Fordham,
arrived in Newcastle last night and will continue negotiations about their
futures with the Knights at a meeting this morning. Andrew is apparently
keen to re-sign with the Knights, possibly before leaving next week for
a holiday in Fiji, but Matthew remains unsure of his plans.
MacDougall edgy over contract; Herald. Oct 29,
1997.
ADAM MacDougall's rugby league future in Newcastle looked less certain
yesterday after the outside back declared time was running out for the
Knights to offer him a satisfactory contract. MacDougall, one of the Knights'
grand-final heroes, said that if the Australian Rugby League (ARL) premiers
weren't prepared to reconsider `structuring' aspects of his proposed contract,
he would be forced to `seriously consider' leaving. The stocky winger,
who has been linked with his former team, Sydney City, and several others,
returned to Newcastle yesterday after speaking to other clubs. `If something's
not done soon, I'll have to make a decision,' MacDougall said. `I've basically
agreed to stay here for a lot less money it's the structuring of the contract
that is the problem. But if the conditions (of the contract) aren't right,
then I won't be staying. It's that simple. `I'm in no rush to make a decision
but . . . a lot of clubs are waiting on my decision. `If I hold off too
long, these other offers will probably dry up. I would love to stay in
Newcastle because I think we have a point to prove. Like a lot of the other
blokes, I think that we've really only done half the job. We've still got
a lot to prove and I'd like to be here and try and win it (a unified competition).'
Knights chief executive officer Ian Bonnette said all contract negotiations
were confidential. `He's got an offer on the table waiting for him,' Bonnette
said.
`We are very serious about retaining him.' MacDougall's comments
came on the day his appeal against a conviction for stomping Manly captain
Geoff Toovey in the grand final was rejected because of a lack of new evidence.
The decision of the appeals committee sidelines MacDougall until the third
premiership round of next season's competition. MacDougall was disappointed
with the outcome and said the appeal had failed because of a `technicality'.
McDougall appeal no go - 29 Oct 1997,
Illawarra Mercury
Adam MacDougall's suspension is unlikely to affect his contract negotiations
with Newcastle and other clubs, despite the Australian Rugby League appeals
tribunal yesterday refusing to re-hear his case. MacDougall, who
was suspended until the third round of next season's premiership after
being found guilty of stomping Manly captain Geoff Toovey in last month's
grand final, had his appeal bid thrown out because of a lack of new evidence.
Mal factor convinces Mac to stay - 18 Nov 1997,
Newcastle Herald
They say money speaks all languages, but for Adam MacDougall the chance
to play another season under Newcastle Knights mentor Malcolm Reilly was
just too good to pass up yesterday. MacDougall, 22, finally signed with
the Australian Rugby League premier for a further three years after speculation
he would do so last week. Reilly's contract with the Knights is up at the
end of the next season when he he expected to head back to his home land,
England. However, MacDougall said he turned his back on several tempting
million-dollar contracts because he wanted to play under the former English
rugby league legend and now premiership-winning coach. `Winning the competition
was a major factor but so was Malcolm,' MacDougall said yesterday. `I've
got a lot of respect for Malcolm as a coach and as a person. `Also the
fact that I believe that Malcolm and the team as a whole can help me to
achieve my goal for next year, which is to play rep football.' Reilly was
a little taken aback by MacDougall's glowing praise. `That's very flattering
of Adam and I appreciate that because he is a good player,' the Knights'
coach said. `He had a bad year as far as injury concerns go and a few people
lost their patience with him. `I've been around the sport a lot of years
now and I appreciate what he was going through, the anxiety of wanting
to play and be there, but he was unable to participate. `But he came good
at the right time and the games he did play he's always been one the best
on the park.' MacDougall, who rejoined the Knights at the start of the
1997 season after a stint with Sydney City, only managed a handful of first-grade
games after being constantly hampered by a nagging ankle injury. However,
the powerful winger or centre is ready to put those injuries behind him
and aim for representative honours next season. MacDougall said he had
been approached by several clubs in Sydney, where he originally hails from,
as well as a number of other cities. He revealed he also was extremely
interested in an offer to play with the Super League-aligned Canberra Raiders
under former champion centre Mal Meninga.
Mad Dog to heal old wound; MacDougall seeks peace with
Toovey before war with Qld: Herald. May 13, 1998.
ONE of the first things Newcastle Knights winger Adam MacDougall will
do when he goes into NSW camp next week is make peace with Manly and Blues
veteran Geoff Toovey. MacDougall, one of four Knights named in the Blues'
squad, will make his senior representative debut in the opening State of
Origin game at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday, May 22. The 23-year-old
backline barn-stormer joins Knights captain and prop Paul Harragon and
halfback Andrew Johns in the starting side while five-eighth Matthew Johns
is on the bench. NSW selectors overlooked the legitimate claims of front-rower
Tony Butterfield, meaning Wests centre Ken McGuinness was the only `bolter'
on the bench. MacDougall, the only debutant in either side, was suspended
for two matches for stomping Toovey in the face during last year's grand
final and missed the opening two rounds of this season. The Manly star
is the Blues' hooker and one of their most senior players so MacDougall
said he would seek him out as soon as possible to clear the air. `I've
never spoken to the guy. I've got no hard feelings but I can understand
if he has because it wasn't my face,' MacDougall said. `But I never even
got the chance to shake his hand because he went off pretty quickly. I'm
sure that we'll have to sort out our differences anyway now that we're
going to be on the same team and he'll obviously play a senior role. I'll
go up to him and introduce myself as soon as I can. Different people have
different opinions on the matter but I'm sure he's a big enough person
to realise it wasn't intentional.'
MacDougall said Origin selection had fulfilled one of his two life-time
goals, the other being achieved when the Knights won last year's grand
final.
`More than anything I'm relieved,' he said. `I was pretty nervous this
morning and wasn't going to hang around and wait for the news, but being
in bed with a virus I had no other choice. Everyone's been saying I'm going
to get in and obviously I hoped I was going to get in so it's just more
relief than anything. I'm stoked but the job's only half-done now and I've
got to take the opportunity by the throat when I get out there next week.'
Harragon will line up for his 19th consecutive game for the Blues,
a NSW Origin record, since his debut in 1992. Andrew, with seven State
caps to his name, followed his selection as Australia's halfback by being
handed the Blues' No.7 jersey ahead of Toovey. Matthew is back in the NSW
squad after making two appearances in 1995. `It was a big goal of mine
to represent again in State of Origin this year, especially at halfback,'
Andrew said. `I was disappointed with the way I went last year in Origin
football so I'm really looking forward to having a big series. By the look
of the Queensland side and with talk of sell-out crowds, I think it's going
to be one of the toughest series I've played in and I can't wait.'
Johns said he had mixed feelings about the Knights' representation,
obviously pleased with the inclusion of Harragon, brother Matthew and MacDougall
but disappointed that selectors could not find a place for Butterfield
somewhere in the squad. Butterfield was disappointed after making such
a strong impression in Newcastle's 50-16 win over Manly last Sunday but
had never raised his hopes. `I was probably as good a chance as I'd ever
been but never mind, it's not to be,' Butterfield said. `I thought I played
well on Sunday but all the blokes I'm up against are playing well too and
at the end of the day it's the selectors you have to impress, not the blokes
in the media giving you a bit of a push.'
MacDougall emulates his old man - 13 May
1998, Illawarra Mercury
Newcastle winger Adam MacDougall was one player not sitting by the
telephone yesterday waiting to hear if he had earned a NSW State of Origin
jumper. There was no point - MacDougall and his three flatmates have had
their phone disconnected for not paying the bill. Recovering from a stomach
virus at home, the Origin debutant heard on radio he was in the Blues team
for Friday week's clash against Queensland at the Sydney Football Stadium.
"I wanted to take it easy so I thought I'd pass some time and turn on the
radio to listen to some music," MacDougall said. "I heard the local news
say a few Knights players have made the State team and to my relief I was
one of them."
MacDougall, whose father Gil represented NSW in the early 1960s, proved
he was big-time material by matching Manly centres Terry Hill and Craig
Innes in last season's Australian Rugby League grand final.After serving
a two-match suspension for stomping the face of Sea Eagles captain Geoff
Toovey during the grand final, he returned with the Knights via the interchange
and has not put a foot wrong since. "I'm pretty happy," MacDougall said.
"I really can't put it in words. "My dad played for NSW and it's just a
great honour to don the jersey." Once described by Knights' team-mate Tony
Butterfield as "a wild bit of gear", the 100kg winger has reputation for
strong running and fearless defence that could make him a crowd favourite
at the SFS.
Man on a mission - 14 May 1998, Newcastle
Herald
Adam MacDougall was once a `glass is half-empty' kind of guy. Whenever
it seemed as though his football career was on an upswing, fate would
intervene and cut him down. But on the afternoon of September 28, 1997,
a few seconds after fellow winger Darren Albert planted the ball
behind the goalposts at the southern end of the Sydney Football Stadium
to give the Newcastle Knights a miraculous grand-final win over Manly,
the glass was suddenly half-full. MacDougall's cup runneth over on
Tuesday when he was named in the NSW team for the State of Origin series-opener
at the Sydney Football Stadium on May 22.
The `beast' of the Newcastle backline will be the only NSW debutant
and, after Queensland reserve back Ben Ikin, the youngest player
in either side. `The last six months of my football career have been a
dream,' MacDougall said this week. `As a kid starting out I only
had two goals in life and that was to win a grand final and play State
of Origin and to attain both of those in the last six months, I couldn't
give a damn if I don't play football again after this.' The demons of self-doubt
have not been completely exorcised. After a career dogged by injuries
and illness, the man known as `Mad Dog' took some convincing that
his luck had changed. Most judges had pencilled him into their NSW sides
before selectors met on Tuesday but he would not have been too shocked
if he missed out. `A lot of things go through your head, especially with
the number of kicks in the arse I've had in my football career,'
he said. `You get to a stage in your life when you've had that many kicks
in the arse you start looking for the next one. `I haven't had a
lot of luck in my career and I don't want to give anyone a big sob story
but after a while you start looking over your shoulder wondering what's
going to hit me next. So it wouldn't have surprised me in some ways if
I copped another one, but to my relief I didn't and I was over the moon
when I heard my name read out.'
Even at the last hurdle he felt he was being tested again. Just two
days after his 23rd birthday, he lay in bed last Sunday morning after an
almost sleepless night struggling with a stomach bug. The Knights were
due to meet Manly at Brookvale Oval later that day in a grand-final rematch
but MacDougall was convinced that he would be a spectator. `I woke up before
the game against Manly not even thinking I was going to get out on
the field at Brookvale; that's how sick I was feeling,' he said. `But to
get through that game, it was another test for me and I really pushed
myself mentally and physically when I was so ill. `So I think the worm
has turned. `Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, so they
say, and that's a motto I've used to live my life.'
His pre-match intensity and feats of strength are legendary so the
build-up to next week's Origin game could cause an adrenalin overload for
MacDougall. He was described by prop Tony Butterfield last year as `a wild
bit of gear' and team-mates give him a wide berth before games in case
he knocks them down on his way to ripping down a wall. Coach Malcolm Reilly
said MacDougall could probably increase his pace because a few leg
operations curtailed his pre-season speed work `but I don't know
if he could improve his strength. He'll break something in the gymnasium
if he does.' MacDougall, whose father, Gilbert, represented NSW in
the 1960s, is now counting the hours until he takes the next step towards
achieving a long-term career goal of being the best. `I live and
breathe football 24 hours a day and it is my goal now to one day be the
best winger in rugby league,' he said. `To do that, you've got to
play State of Origin so this takes me one step closer to attaining that
goal. For me, I've always seen State of Origin as the pinnacle of
rugby league. `Growing up in a rugby league family of four brothers, the
amount of adrenalin we used to produce in the lounge room just watching
it as kids was amazing. `As far as we were concerned, with all that
adrenalin you'd want to run and tackle the TV. `I just can't imagine the
amount of adrenalin I'm going to get before the game. I get enough as it
is. I get pretty pumped. `You watch the guys on TV and wonder just how
they get so pumped when they walk out and you see that fire in their eyes.
`So I imagine it's a pretty intense sort of five days or seven days in
camp and I'm a pretty intense sort of person as it is. `This is the biggest
game in rugby league, everyone will be watching and I'll be trying to go
out there and dominate the other wingers. `I like big-game football so
this will suit me down to the ground.'
The year of the Dog - Matthew Johns, 17 May
1998, Sun Herald
To be selected in the united State of Origin squad is a great honour
- it is a bonus to have three of your teammmates alongside you, especially
when one is your brother. Everybody knows plenty about my teammates Paul
Harragon and Andrew Johns, but it is Adam MacDougall who still remains
a mysterious character to league fans. Adam will be making his representative
debut on Friday night but he won't be intimidated by the big occasion.
It is on these "big occasions" that "The Growling Dog" plays his very best
football - just look at our finals series last year and on grand final
day he was outstanding. Origin football may be another step up, but Adam
has improved even further on last season and is ready. His style of play
ranges from the hard-working to the dynamic. He plays ultra-intense and
aggressive football and is a real handful in broken play situations. His
overall strength is truly amazing and his feats in the gymnasium are legendary.
Blend his strength with real pace and great footwork and you can start
to understand why opponents find him nearly impossible to drag down one-on-one.
But "The Dog's" greatest attribute is undoubtedly his preparation.
His training techniques are almost scientific, lifting weights and doing
sprint training to a very strict schedule that allows him to train super
intensively. He doesn't pump weights or run every day. His philosophy is
quality and, as strange as his methods may seem, you can't argue with the
results. And what about his food intake? Adam eats amazing amounts of tucker.
When once quizzed about how many egg whites he consumes, he replied coolly
between 250 and 300 a week (I don't think he was joking!). A story one
of the Newcastle players tells is that Adam opened his glovebox and consumed
a full block of cheddar cheese.
Macdougall unfazed by pressure - 20 May 1998,
Illawarra Mercury
If you are worried about NSW State of Origin rookie Adam Macdougall
and his ability to absorb pressure, don't be. Macdougall is the only debutant
in a 17-man NSW Origin side, set to do battle in game one of the 1998 series
against Queensland at Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night. One could
forgive Macdougall, 23, for nervousness. You could also understand a certain
level of shyness especially considering nearly all of his team-mates are
internationals and amongst them are six NRL club captains. But on face
value Macdougall appears to be the most confident, even cocky, player in
the Blues den. Ask him what he will do on Friday night and he will tell
you straight, hard and unabashed. Some might call it lair, most call it
the confidence of a young guy going somewhere. He has an air.
One senior player said yesterday: ``Adam sure can play, but only take
half of what he says seriously. He just goes off. There is no holding back
with the young fella." Another said Macdougall had taken up where Mark
"Spud" Carroll left off. To journalists, Carroll, now playing club football
in England, was the man to go to when you didn't have a story. One question,
and you have a back page lead from the brash prop. He was a dream subject,
full of quotable quotes and controversy. Similarly, Macdougall does not
refrain one bit. He is prepared to back his talk and, thus far in the NRL,
has proven he can. However, Origin is another, more brutal stage altogether.
Maybe it was time to ask his well-qualified room-mate, 20-Origin veteran
Rod Wishart, how he thought young Macdougall would go.
``No problems, Adam will kill it," Wishart said. ``I will tell you
this, the young bloke does not lack any confidence. But I see that as being
a major bonus. ``I have enjoyed rooming with him and I think the coach
put me with him because he is new and I have a fair bit of experience.
``While Adam is a confident fellow, he is really keen to learn and he is
full of questions. I am impressed with the bloke."
Mad Dog barks at reports - 04 Jun 1998,
Newcastle Herald
NEWCASTLE and NSW winger Adam MacDougall has distanced himself from
reports that he might quit the Knights following the appointment of Warren
Ryan as coach for next year's National Rugby League (NRL) season. The 23-year-old
backline blockbuster was reported in Brisbane and Sydney newspapers yesterday
as saying he had a get-out clause in his contract if he did not agree with
the club's choice of coach to replace Malcolm Reilly. MacDougall, in camp
in Brisbane with the Blues preparing for tomorrow night's second State
of Origin game at Suncorp Stadium, told The Newcastle Herald last night
that he was in fact looking forward to meeting Ryan and playing under his
guidance. `I can't believe the way that story came out. There's no truth
to it at all,' MacDougall said. `It's not in my best interests to come
out and say something like that. It wouldn't be real smart of me to try
and get off-side with the bloke before he even gets here. `I'm rooming
with Terry Hill and he says he learnt more under him in one season (at
Wests) than he has from any other coach he's had, which is a big rap considering
his coach at Manly is Bob Fulton. `Terry says he'll be a great coach for
me and he'll be the biggest success story Newcastle has seen. I've never
met the bloke but I've only heard good things about him.'
MacDougall stood by his comments about Reilly, whom he described as
like a second father, and said most of the interview was about the impact
Reilly had made on him and the team. `It was all about Mal and how great
he's been for myself and the rest of the boys,' he said. `I just said that
there was something in my arrangement with them (the Knights) for next
year about the coach but I never said I'd be quitting because Warren Ryan
was going to coach us. `I'm just a player in the team. What say have I
got and why would I say something stupid like that? `I suppose if it fills
a space in their paper then that's great and it was something we all had
a laugh about but I just hope that no-one took it too seriously.'
Knights chairman Michael Hill was surprised by the quotes attributed
to MacDougall but was confident the young winger and Ryan would get on
well. `I'm sure that when Adam gets the opportunity to sit down and have
a chat with Warren after this season, it will sort itself out but at this
stage I'm more interested in this year than next year, as I know Adam is,'
Hill said. Hill said he had been extremely pleased at the response from
the rugby league community to news of Ryan's appointment. `The acceptance
by people like David Waite, Allan McMahon, Phil Gould, Jack Gibson, any
number of leading coaches, has been tremendous,' Hill said. MacDougall
said there was more desperation and determination in the Blues' camp this
week as they prepared to try to level the series. `Losing like we did has
left a bad taste in the guys' mouths and you can just feel that extra hunger
and animosity there this week,' MacDougall said.
Knights let me down: MacDougall - 08 Jul 1998,
Newcastle Herald
Knights winger Adam MacDougall has accused the club of betraying his
trust by revealing details of his private medical history to the media
as part of its explanation of his positive drug test. The 23-year-old NSW
State of Origin representative told Knights chief executive Ian Bonnette
and chairman Michael Hill yesterday morning that he had tested positive
for the banned stimulant ephedrine, having been tested by Australian Sports
Drug Agency (ASDA) officials after Newcastle's game against Cronulla at
Shark Park on June 6. Hill met National Rugby League chief executive Neil
Whittaker at length last night then issued a press release revealing MacDougall
had tested positive to another banned stimulant, amfepramone, and had recorded
a testosterone/epitestosterone (T:E) ratio of greater than the allowed
limit of 6:1.
The results have come only from MacDougall's `A' sample, with the `B'
sample still to be tested and results of that expected within the next
week. MacDougall told The Newcastle Herald late last night that he was
`shattered' and `embarrassed' that details of his T:E ratio had been made
public, because he had reasonable explanations for it. He said he suffered
from hyperpituitarism and hypothyroidism as a result of a life-threatening
blood clot in his brain in 1996 and had to take medications to treat both
diseases. Hyperpituitarism is a disease caused by the over-secretion of
human growth hormone. Hypothyroidism is related to thyroid or pituitary
gland insufficiency. `It's a personal issue and they've gone and informed
the public about something they know nothing about,' MacDougall said. `I'm
very embarrassed because they had no right to disclose my medical history.
I didn't want anyone to know about it but now I've got to explain to the
whole world about a private medical issue and I'm shattered. `I told the
club in confidence and I told ASDA and the B sample will prove that it's
not an issue. `I've got rare genetic diseases as a result of the blood
clot to my brain, which nearly killed me, and I've got to take certain
medications or I'll die.'
Bonnette believed MacDougall had over-reacted, the information would
be revealed in due course and that it was better to be `proactive' about
the issue. `We wanted to get on the front foot and get all the information
out there now rather than in bits and pieces,' he said. `I think he's over-reacting
because his B sample is still to be tested and if they are naturally occurring
levels, that will all come out in further tests.' MacDougall was adamant
his positive tests to ephedrine and amfepramone were the result of prescribed
cold and flu medications he had been taking and that he hoped to be playing
again before the end of the season. He had been suffering from the flu,
had been out drinking heavily the previous night having played for NSW
in the second Origin game in Brisbane, and did not anticipate playing against
the Sharks on June 6 until shortly before kick-off.
`I played State of Origin on the Friday night, got absolutely hammered
that night and was pretty crook the next day and I made myself unavailable
to play against Cronulla,' he said. `But about an hour and a bit before
the game (coach) Malcolm (Reilly) asked me if I could play. `I had the
flu badly, I'd taken a number of prescribed medications and one of these
medications I would assume has caused the problem and that will be vindicated
by the court (sic).
`I just want to publicly apologise to the club and to everyone. I'm
sorry that I've brought more pressure onto the club and Mal and the players
by making an honest, stupid mistake.' If the B sample confirms the A sample
result, MacDougall will appear before the NRL drugs tribunal under the
guidelines set out in the Australian Rugby League's 1997 drugs policy.
That means he will face a maximum 22-match ban. MacDougall believed he
would be suspended only for a maximum of six weeks. NRL public affairs
manager John Brady said a player who could prove inadvertent use of a banned
substance even for legitimate therapeutic use could still be suspended
up to 22 games.
Highs and lows hound Mad Dog 8 Jul 1998 Newcastle
Herald
Ever since breaking into first grade with Sydney City in 1995, MacDougall
has excelled before finding something to bring him down. In the past it
was ankle injuries and a life-threatening blood clot but yesterday it was
revealed that MacDougall had tested positive to the banned substances ephedrine
and amfepramone. That finding and the future outcome of his positive test
will add another chapter to his roller-coaster football career. Sydney-born
MacDougall started out with the Knights under-21s in 1994 before moving
to the Roosters in 1995. He made his first-grade debut for Sydney City
against North Queensland that year and made another five appearances in
the top grade but was hampered by an ankle injury. However, the first blow
to his career came the following year when a life-threatening blood clot
was discovered in his brain and he missed the entire 1996 season. He was
thrown a life-line last year by his old club and returned to flourish under
Malcolm Reilly. Reilly was impressed by MacDougall's strength and speed
and the powerful winger cemented a place in the Knights' first-grade team
when he was fit to play. Ankle problems surfaced again at the start of
the 1997 season. It was a long road back but he finally returned later
in the year from torn ligaments to feature in the Knights premiership charge.
MacDougall played strongly in the grand final but will be remembered for
the infamous stomp on Manly skipper Geoff Toovey's face and was later suspended
for two matches for the incident. Returning in 1998, Mad Dog set
out to be the No.1 winger in the world. He missed selection for the Anzac
Day Test but strong performances in club games saw him finally achieve
his dream of playing for NSW in the State of Origin series. MacDougall
shone in the opening game and was selected for the remainder of the series.
Mad Dog gone - 25 Aug 1998, Newcastle Herald
Knights winger Adam MacDougall's season is over after he was suspended
last night for 11 matches by the National Rugby League drugs tribunal.
The 23-year-old NSW winger known as Mad Dog was given a warning for inadvertent
use of ephedrine but was suspended for 11 games for taking an appetite
suppressant containing the banned stimulant amfepramone. He admitted eating
`seven or eight' Maximum brand energy bars which contained ephedra, a form
of ephedrine. The amfepramone was in a 25mg tablet of Tenuate Dospan given
to him by a flat-mate. MacDougall, who was tested after Newcastle's game
against Cronulla on June 6, successfully argued that he was suffering from
a hangover and concussion after playing for NSW in a State of Origin game
the previous night and had not intended backing up for the Knights. There
was some confusion about exactly how much of the suspension MacDougall
had already served. Having already been stood down for seven matches, MacDougall
still has four games to serve. The Knights can only play a maximum of four
including the grand final. This was not revealed until after the hearing
late last night and it was initially reported by the league and Knights
chief executive Ian Bonnette that MacDougall had served eight games and
could be eligible to play in the grand final. But at the time of Newcastle's
July 4 game against Penrith, the reason given for MacDougall being ruled
out was that he had suffered a broken rib the previous week against Parramatta.
MacDougall's positive tests to the two banned stimulants were not made
public until Tuesday, July 7, three days after the Penrith game. MacDougall
is the third Newcastle player to appear before the tribunal this year but
was given half the 22-game suspensions handed out to team-mates Robbie
O'Davis and Wayne Richards. After a hearing lasting almost three hours,
MacDougall read a brief statement: `I appreciate the fair hearing that
the tribunal has given me and I appreciate particularly that they were
able to see that the circumstances of the charge against me was that of
a vastly different one from the steroid cases which have been brought before
them,' "I am disappointed that taking a single appetite suppressant to
cure the after-effects of a hangover has resulted in an 11-week suspension,'
MacDougall said. `But I am pleased to say that the tribunal accepted my
evidence and found that the ephedrine was taken unknowingly by myself in
a food product which was purchased across the counter of a store. `. .
. I am looking forward to getting back onto the field and putting this
whole incident behind me.' In a separate matter involving MacDougall's
elevated testosterone/epitestosterone levels, a third and final test is
expected to be conducted by next week with results to be finalised by the
end of the season. If the NRL is not satisfied with the T:E results, MacDougall
could again be called before the tribunal to defend himself. MacDougall
is the third Newcastle player to appear before the tribunal this year but
was given half the 22-game suspensions handed out to team-mates Robbie
O'Davis and Wayne Richards.
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