I need drugs -  20 Feb 1999, Newcastle Herald 
Adam MacDougall would face `horrendous side effects' if he did not take the drug deemed to be banned by the NRL's drugs tribunal. MacDougall's manager, George Liolio, was shattered by the tribunal's decision on Thursday night to suspend the Newcastle winger for 22 weeks for the deliberate use of an anabolic agent. MacDougall's legal representatives are now exploring avenues to have the decision appealed. MacDougall will serve an additional 11 weeks on top of an 11-week suspension handed to him by the drugs tribunal last August for stimulant use. The tribunal reached their decision after agreeing that using a drug to treat a medical condition was the same as using one to overcome an injury. Melbourne Storm prop Rodney Howe's was the test case used by the tribunal. Liolio rubbished the move. `Adam's condition is a complex one but it is very private,' he said. `It is inappropriate for me to elaborate on his condition at this stage. `The previous cases were based on injuries. `Adam's is a permanent disability or condition. `He doesn't want too many people to know what sort of side effects this condition has got if he doesn't take the medication, but they are pretty horrendous.' The drug in question is Sustanon 250. It is a prescribed drug used for testosterone preparation. MacDougall was using the drug to battle the effects of hypothyroidism and hyperpituitarism resulting from a head injury in 1993, which severly impaired function of his pituitary gland. He formally applied to NRL medical officer Hugh Hazard almost two weeks ago to be granted a special exemption from the ban on Sustanon 250. MacDougall's playing future is now in the hands of the NRL. If he needs to take the drug then he can not play rugby league under current rules. `You could come to that deduction,' Liolio said. MacDougall will face the Knights' board on Wednesday. 

MacDougall breaks his silence to reveal -  05 Mar 1999,  Newcastle Herald 
Knights winger Adam MacDougall broke a six-month silence yesterday to reveal his personal medical details in an effort to restore his tarnished name. The 23-year-old said he could face side effects such as impotency and infertility if he did not take the drug Sustanon 250, which contains an anabolic agent. The National Rugby League suspended MacDougall for 22 matches two weeks ago for taking the drug, which helps restore testosterone levels. Yesterday he sought an injunction against his suspension. He will have his case heard in the equity division of the Supreme Court in Sydney today. (Report, Page 72) MacDougall's specialist, Dr Martin Epstein, a leading endocrinologist, bluntly pointed out the harsh reality of his patient's condition. `Just think of you young men and if somebody took to you with a knife and removed your testicles,' Dr Epstein said. `That would be the same thing that happened to Adam, except in a remote way.' So, with his playing future in the balance, an emotional MacDougall fronted a press conference at the Knights' office flanked by manager George Liolio, legal representatives and Dr Epstein. It was the first time MacDougall had spoken publicly since being suspended by the NRL's drugs tribunal in August for using stimulants. `I'm here today due to the fact that I now may be facing the prospect of never playing football again,' the 1998 State of Origin representative said in a prepared statement. `This is due to my serious illness, which I sustained as a result of a head injury suffered while playing professional football, the very game that looks like turning its back on me. `I believe that if the NRL washes its hands of me, then it washes its hands of any youngster out there with a health impairment that requires treatment to sustain a healthy existence.' MacDougall admitted he had thought about quitting rugby league. However, he has lodged an appeal with the NRL in order to continue taking the drug while playing. Dr Epstein said MacDougall needed to take Sustanon 250 to combat a deficiency in testosterone. Side effects included chronic fatigue, weight loss, severe mood swings and heart disease. MacDougall's ailment is a result of a fractured skull he suffered in a rugby league match in 1993. His pituitary gland was severly damaged. The full extent of the injury was not diagnosed until three years later when he collapsed and almost died. Dr Epstein said MacDougall's condition was rare and irreversible, meaning he had no choice but to take testosterone supplements if he wanted to maintain a normal life. `From a medical point of view he must have these hormones in order to sustain his life in a normal way,' he said. `But our treatments for it aren't as good as being a normal person. Nature is always best.' 

Drugs and fairness -  05 Mar 1999,  Newcastle Herald
The decision by footballer Adam MacDougall to reveal very personal details of the medical condition which led to his use of a banned drug should prompt sporting bodies to question whether drug policies may be too rigid. MacDougall's tell-all media conference was aimed in part at forcing the National Rugby League to speed the review of his case. The 22-week suspension imposed by the NRL drugs tribunal has been financially costly for the Newcastle Knights player, as well as stopping him from playing the game he loves. But MacDougall also feels that he has been treated unfairly because he needs the drug in question just to lead a reasonably normal life. A respected Newcastle medical specialist attending the conference confirmed MacDougall's claims that the drug does not give him super normal strength. Endocrinologist Dr Martin Epstein said MacDougall's condition was rare. In the circumstances, he believed it should be possible for sport authorities to reach agreement for the use of such a drug provided it was not taken excessively. Dr Epstein has already given evidence to the NRL during its hearing of MacDougall's case. His views, he said, had been backed by other endocrinologists. However, despite such medical evidence, the NRL drugs tribunal decided after a four-hour hearing on February 18 that MacDougall's need to take the drug because of a medical condition was `irrelevant'. The tribunal made no distinction between the use of a banned substance to aid the recovery of a leg injury, as happened in the case of Melbourne Storm player Rodney Howe, and its prescribed use for a medical condition. Since the February hearing, the NRL has passed MacDougall's application to use the banned substance to the Australian Sports Commission. A panel of doctors will prepare a report for the commission but the matter will go back to the NRL for a decision. The NRL has defended the drawn-out nature of its chosen course by stating that the issue is important and it cannot be rushed because the eventual decision is likely to set a precedent. Dr Epstein agreed yesterday that it was a rare and difficult situation for the rugby league. Few people would dispute the need for sport authorities to take firm action to stamp out drug cheats in an era of high-paid professionalism. But firmness must be balanced with fairness and commonsense. All parties in the MacDougall case accept that his circumstances are rare. If MacDougall doesn't take the drug, one that is commonly prescribed, he would face side effects including chronic fatigue, weight loss, heart disease and impotence. And given the fact that the drug is taken under medical advice, it should be easy for authorities to monitor its usage. The fact that the NRL is taking what seems like an eternity to consider this matter while footballers are quickly forgiven by league officials for such idiotic behaviour as spreading faeces on motel room walls does little to help the image of the game. 

It's not over yet, says MacDougall -  6 Mar 1999, Sydney Morning Herald 
Newcastle winger Adam MacDougall, unsuccessful in his legal bid to play in tonight's double-header at Stadium Australia, risks being drug-tested and suspended again if the courts allow him to play without the permission of the National Rugby League. MacDougall vowed to continue fighting the League yesterday after Justice Hodgson of the NSW Supreme Court refused to grant him an injunction against his 22-match ban for using an anabolic agent. "It's not over yet," the Newcastle winger said as he left the courtroom. MacDougall will take his case back to the Supreme Court on March 12 as well as initiating action in the NSW Industrial Commission next week. He took the NRL to court in a bid to be included in Newcastle's team for tonight's round-one match against Manly in front of an expected record 110,000 crowd at the Olympic venue.Justice Hodgson found there were not sufficient grounds to set aside the suspension while NRL chief medical officer Hugh Hazard decided whether MacDougall could keep taking the banned substance to treat a medical condition. It was revealed during yesterday's proceedings that the NRL had undertaken not to take any action against MacDougall - while Hazard is considering his ruling - if he tested positive to the same drug again. But that agreement applied only as long as MacDougall didn't play without Hazard's permission. League officials are not permitted by law to speculate on the outcome of court decisions but it was apparent last night that MacDougall risked being chosen for a random test if he played without permission. A positive result to a steroid carries a two-year ban, with a second offence resulting in a life suspension. In other words, if permission to keep taking the preparation, Sustanon 250, was refused and the suspension upheld, MacDougall would risk a two-year ban if he played without Hazard's approval. It was revealed during yesterday's hearing that he had lodged a registration form for the 1999 season only this week and had included in it a letter from the NRL which his counsel claimed exempted him from the possibility of a life ban should he test positive to the drug again. Counsel for the NRL, John Marshall, said: "The NRL will not register him on this basis." Justice Hodgson said the League's undertaking was made in exchange for an agreement from MacDougall that he not play without the approval of Hazard. "There is no joy in what is a difficult and complicated matter for both the League and Adam MacDougall," said NRL legal affairs manager David Gallop. "Naturally we are pleased that the drugs tribunal's finding has not been disturbed. And we are confident the chief medical officer will work as quickly as possible to process Adam's application." 
MacDougall appeared briefly before the court yesterday, as did Hazard, to answer questions about correspondence between the parties. MacDougall has an appointment with endocrinologist Professor David Handelsman on Monday for an examination before a report is prepared for Hazard on his condition. The winger's counsel made an offer to the NRL under which he would resume serving his suspension if his legal challenge was unsuccessful. Marshall at one stage brandished a copy of yesterday's Herald, saying the League was concerned that the affair was detracting from tonight's extravaganza. In his findings, Justice Hodgson said: "If it was approved it would be the first time that the use of testosterone for medical purposes has been approved so that the user is permitted to play a competitive sport. "It seems to me that in those circumstances, Dr Hazard does need to approach the matter with some care [and] it is not a matter in respect of which some sort of time limit could be placed on him." 

He can play; MacDougall gets green light to stay with drug : Rugby League Herald. Apr 28, 1999. 
THE National Rugby League has given suspended Newcastle Knights winger Adam MacDougall permission to use the banned substance Sustanon-250 when he returns against Souths at the Sydney Football Stadium on May 23. The 23-year-old NSW winger received authorisation from NRL medical officer Dr Hugh Hazard yesterday that will allow him to continue his career while using the drug, which he needs to treat the symptoms of hypopituitarism. The authorisation is independent of the NRL drugs tribunal's decision to suspend MacDougall for 22 matches, 11 of which were served last year in concurrence with another suspension for using the banned stimulant amfepramone. Therefore he must still serve the remaining three games of that suspension against Parramatta, Norths and Penrith and the NRL is not expected to reconvene its drugs tribunal to review its original decision. MacDougall still has an Industrial Relations Commission case pending, and that is scheduled for a directions hearing on May 6, but there was speculation last night that he might not proceed with it after Dr Hazard's decision.
A full commission hearing was unlikely until well after MacDougall had returned to the field so his legal team was considering its next move. 
According to legal and medical sources, the approval is vindication that MacDougall has a genuine medical condition and is not gaining any advantage over other players by taking the drug. MacDougall has been undergoing a series of Sustanon-250 injections and regular blood tests to establish his normal testosterone levels and the results were analysed by Professor David Handelsman, a professor of endocrinology at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. `I've spoken to Adam today and he's been provided with authorisation from Hugh Hazard for the use of the banned substance Sustanon-250 until the end of the 1999 premiership season,' Knights medical officer Dr Peter McGeoch said last night. Professor David Handelsman has reviewed the results of the series of samples submitted and is satisfied as to the profile attained.'
Professor Handelsman found that MacDougall needed fortnightly injections of Sustanon-250, rather than injections every three weeks, to attain normal testosterone levels. Dr McGeoch said MacDougall would still be subject to random blood tests, scheduled blood tests twice a month, and random urine testing by the Australian Sports Drug Agency. MacDougall's manager George Liolio said the player was ecstatic.

MacDougall back to front board -  10 May 1999,  Newcastle Herald 
Suspended Knights winger Adam MacDougall faces further disciplinary action before the club's board of directors tonight but can expect nothing worse than a fine. MacDougall, who is almost at the end of a 22-match suspension for two separate breaches of the NRL's drugs policy, will be the third Newcastle player to front the board. Last year, the Knights sacked Wayne Richards and stripped Robbie O'Davis of his job as a development officer, fining him $90,000. Richards is now at Souths, having resumed his career in round six after serving a 22-game suspension, and O'Davis will return from his 22-match ban against Penrith at Penrith on Sunday. MacDougall will not be sacked and apart from his duties as a player, holds no other position with the club. Knights chairman Michael Hill would not discuss MacDougall's appearance yesterday, other than to say the club was following the same process it applied to O'Davis and Richards. But given MacDougall's legal battle with the NRL to prove that his excessive T:E ratio was due to medication he takes for hypopituitarism and the Knights' support of him throughout that fight, it is impossible to imagine the club terminating his contract. Coach Warren Ryan is desperate to get MacDougall back on the field and is adamant the player is eligible to return against the Panthers, so further suspension seems just as unfeasible. MacDougall, who turned 24 on Saturday, has not played since Newcastle's 36-12 win over Parramatta at Marathon on June 28 last year. He was named in the team to play Penrith at Penrith the following week but was ruled out. At the time, it was reported that he had a broken rib but it is believed he was stood down because of his positive drug test. The game against the Panthers was on Saturday, July 4 and news of his positive test came three days later. The Knights are waiting for the NRL's clarification of MacDougall's status, but Ryan has no doubts. `The fact of the matter is he's been out since round 16 last year,' Ryan said. `So he's missed eight premiership games, two play-off games, two trials and 10 rounds this year, which gives you 22 rounds. He's been out 22 matches, which is the length of his suspension.' Ryan said the absence of others who tested positive last year, including Richards (ankle) and Rodney Howe (back), was initially explained as being due to injuries rather than for drug-related offences. 

Knight lost $100,000 clearing name - Herald.  May 15, 1999. 
KNIGHTS winger Adam MacDougall lost almost $100,000 in the legal fight to clear his name, but with only one game of his 22-match suspension to serve he feels totally vindicated. MacDougall, who was 24 last Saturday, will miss Newcastle's game at Penrith tomorrow but will return next Sunday against Souths at the SFS.
In a precedent-setting case for the NRL, MacDougall has been allowed to continue his career while taking the banned substance Sustanon 250 to treat the symptoms of hypopituitarism. Having endured the worst 10 months of his life, MacDougall said it was all worthwhile because he couldn't stand being called `the drug cheat'.  `I've probably lost a whole year's wages, close to $90,000, in legal fees but it was something I had to do to clear my name,' MacDougall said.
`Because I'm on an incentive-based contract, I've lived off my savings and borrowed from my family because I've had no income. The worst thing I've had to endure was being referred to by some people as the drug cheat. The hardest thing was having to sit back and endure a lot of the lies and misinformation being spread about myself when the story first broke. That really left me with no option other than to go public, as I did that day (March 4) at the Knights' office. That was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. To reveal a lot of personal details about my medical condition, I was basically putting my life out in the public arena and it was very hard.'
 
MacDougall aims for Origin recall -  22 May 1999 Newcastle Herald 
Adam MacDougall, a NSW representative last season, is determined to win back his position before the end of this year's State of Origin series. The not-so-gentle giant of the Newcastle backline makes his return from a 22-match drug suspension against Souths at the Sydney Football Stadium and wants to make up for lost time. MacDougall will be doing his best to convince NSW selectors to give him another chance later in the series, even if it comes at the expense of Knights team-mate Darren Albert. `There was a little bit of uncertainty about the wing positions for the first game so if I can just throw my hat in the ring then I might be a chance,' MacDougall said. MacDougall's self-esteem took a hammering during his ordeal to try to prove he was not a drug cheat. But the old confidence is back and he believes Newcastle fans will see a more multi-faceted player. `If anything, I think I'm a more complete footballer because I've added a few extra dimensions to my game,' he said. `I'm a lot quicker this year, a lot more agile, and I've worked pretty hard on my skills but I haven't lost any of the major attributes that made me a good player before.'

Doogs up and running hard;  Newcastle,  May 24, 1999. 
BARNSTORMING Knights winger Adam MacDougall made a spectacular return from his 22-match drug suspension at the Sydney Football Stadium yesterday but believed his best was yet to come. MacDougall was Newcastle's most productive player in their 27-4 loss to South Sydney, making several long runs and breaking tackles almost every time he touched the ball. A NSW representative last year, MacDougall hopes selectors will recall him before the end of this year's State of Origin series and another couple of games like yesterday can only enhance his chances. MacDougall was satisfied with his game but said he was `short of a gallop' and was looking forward to regaining match fitness in the next few weeks. `If football was played over 10 minutes I think I'd be the greatest player in the world but 80 minutes really tested me out,' MacDougall said. MacDougall was booed by sections of the crowd of 10,267 on his first few touches but, unlike the relentless reception Robbie O'Davis received at Penrith a week earlier, the jeering didn't last long. `I only heard one call but if people are aware of the facts of my case compared to the other guys, they'd realise there's a vast difference there,' MacDougall said. `I don't like speaking about the other guys but every case is different.'
He believed the drugs scandal involving fellow Knights Robbie O'Davis and Wayne Richards last year made it difficult for him to explain the unusual circumstances surrounding his positive test. MacDougall, who suffers from hypopituitarism and its associated symptoms, has now been granted permission by the NRL to continue playing while taking the banned substance Sustanon-250 under strict medical supervision. `I just feel that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' he said.
`Looking back at it, looking at the facts, it wasn't exactly the greatest time in the world to be an athlete with a unique illness in a unique situation of a drugs crisis.'

Doogs dodges forward duties  -  29 May 1999, Newcastle Herald
Coach Warren Ryan has not been tempted to transform giant winger Adam MacDougall into a second-rower just yet. Ryan has tried various combinations at the back of the pack this year but would rather keep MacDougall out of the forwards at this stage of his career. `By plonking him in the second row and giving him the workload of a second-rower, we'll reduce his explosiveness,' Ryan said. `He's a fast-twitch-fibre athlete, so he's not built to get through that second-rower's work-rate.' 
Ryan would like MacDougall to assume more of a rover's role and play like Nathan Blacklock does for St George-Illawarra. `I've already pointed out to Adam that Blacklock has the capacity, which is not unique at all because it's been done before, to rove and bob up on the tail end of a middle-field ruck and support a player and suddenly be in for a try,' said Ryan, `We've looked at some aerials of Blacklock and just see how he gets in and does it.'
Mac Dougall cosiders himself a loner within the team.  He's popular, but avoids the Knights social circuit.  While there at the races, he's spending time with his girlfriend of four years.  Belinda, or by himself, on a cliff, reading a book.  Or he'll dabble in tai chi or yoga.  As long as its not football.  "I love the guys I play with. But I cherish time to myself"  I'm an intense footballer, but I sometimes find it claustrophobic in a team situation.  I need balance."

The 9th Knights International 
Adam MacDougall will become the ninth Newcastle Knight to wear the famous green and gold. The eight internationals take pride of place in the Knights' head office, and MacDougall has been itching to get his photo beside the others.  A veteran of eight State of Origin matches, MacDougall's big break came this year when he turned in three sensational performances for the Blues as they whitewashed the Queenslanders. MacDougall said pulling on his first green and gold jersey would be one of the proudest moments of his life. "I was pretty happy with the year I had and I thought I was a very good chance after the way I played in Origin, we've got all the photos at the club of the people who have played, and to be the ninth is something that I'm very proud of. I'm very lucky to play in a great side with Newcastle, but here we've got the best players in the world all together." 
"I was one of the best players in the Origin last year so I proved myself to be the in-form winger, and I was third overall in the Dally-Ms. Wendell is judged on what he's done for the last six or seven seasons and that's fair enough I suppose, so I have to put it in people's minds week in and week out that I'm the best.
 

"There's been some massive forks in the road,  but they've made me the person I've become.  They've given me an appreciatation from life and the game.  Lifes about goals, challenges, obstacles..  without them, whats the point?'

World Cup News - Adam MacDougall plans to leave coach Chris Anderson with no choice but to keep him in the side ahead of Mat Rogers for the World Cup final a week today.  MacDougall said yesterday that he believed he had forced his way into the side for the semi-final  against Wales at Huddersfield on Monday (AEDT) by the weight of performances.  MacDougall revealed that down the track he would like to be a specialist centre, at all levels of football. MacDougall has scored five tries in this tournament where he has primarily been used an interchange player. "I have been given a starting spot and it is up to me to hold on to it," MacDougall said. MacDougall, who has played wing, full-back and centre since the Australians first went into camp in Townsville in early October, said the fact Anderson had given him exposure in different positions had whetted his appetite to move closer to the action.  "Maybe next year at Newcastle I will play centre every now and then," MacDougall said.  "For the time being I want to concentrate on being a specialist winger in representative football but down the track I would like to be a centre."
MacDougall has called for a rethink to the revamped interchange laws after he was left a sitting duck in the World Cup final.  MacDougall injured his ankle in the first tackle of the final against the Kiwis at Old Trafford.  With the new interchange laws playing on his mind, Australia decided against replacing MacDougall.  The new laws allow for 12 interchanges, including blood bins, injuries and head bins.  MacDougall played the rest of the game lame.  MacDougall said, "For the players who are genuinely injured, I don't think its good for their health." Macdougall played the rest of the game with his right ankle swollen and sore. "Thank goodness the new season is almost here. Pre-season training is like a living hell! We physically push our bodies to the limit six days a week, hoping to get fitter, faster and stronger for the season.  Endurance and durability will become vital. We will once again be forced to push through the pain barrier of exhaustion and fatigue for the full 80 minutes, instead of 10- and 20-minute periods. While it makes it more gruelling for the players, it also makes it more exciting for the fans." 
"I believe the pinnacle as far as judging yourself as a footballer goes is State of Origin," he said. "Pulling on the green-and-gold jersey and representing your country is what every player dreams about, but Origin is the ultimate level of football these days.  "I was one of the best players in the Origin last year so I proved myself to be the in-form winger, and I was third overall in the Dally-Ms. Wendell is judged on what he's done for the last six or seven seasons and that's fair enough I suppose, so I have to put it in people's minds week in and week out that I'm the best.

Injury Problems
MacDougall will miss the start of the NRL season,  recovering from a fractured hand and ruptured ankle ligaments he sustained during Australia's successful World Cup.  MacDougall hoped to be back by round two but said a Sydney-based hand specialist had refused to clear him for four weeks. The break is in the thumb joint in the right hand,  not the thumb itself. MacDougall said. "It's responsible for all the strength and movement in my hand.I saw a specialist in Sydney on Wednesday, Dr David Yee, and he said if I played the chances of rebreaking it are very high. That would mean getting a pin in it and missing 12 weeks. He said it's really only half healed, so for the sake of missing one or two games now, it's really not wirth the risk. If I could play, but it's a matter of getting it right." 
MacDougall is nursing a broken thumb and torn ankle ligaments sustained during the World Cup and has been ruled out until the round three away game against the Bulldogs on March 4. "For the sake of one more week in such a long season, it's really not worth me coming back early and risk doing more damage which, knowing my luck, I probably would." MacDougall is expected to return in Round 3 against Canterbury,  “I haven’t had the ideal lead up to this game due to the injuries I’ve carried over from the World Cup. Most of the training I’ve done has been in the pool with my time actually spent working with the team being fairly limited.” 

Against Sailor - MacDougall was happy to pick up the slack after an absorbing battle with long-time nemesis Wendell Sailor that involved pushing and shoving and plenty of lip.  Asked if he felt he had done enough to hold on to his spot in the Australian side, MacDougall said: "You can only play what's put in front of you, and Wendell didn't score a try in Origin this year and they won by a few big scores." Rugby union-bound Sailor visited the Knights rooms to congratulate MacDougall, who said: "It's probably the last time we are going to meet one another [in a game] and we probably wanted to get one-up on each other."
The Newcastle boys have about as many nicknames for Adam as he has empty egg cartons. They range from "The Flying Scotsman" (MacDougall) to things like "The Murderous Mountain of Mayhem". Some are complimentary, others a little tongue-in-cheek. In the dressing rooms before each match "The Scotsman" really pumps himself up. I steer a little clear just in case he internally combusts. But apart from his fire and brimstone, Adam has a great knowledge of the game and in pre-game talks he always contributes wisely, stating points where we can win the match. It is when he talks about the game that it becomes clear that football has been Adam's passion from a young age. He probably had little choice - his father Gill represented NSW and Australia as a centre and they say MacDougall junior is a clone of his father. 

It's a knockout -  25 Jul 1999,  Sun Herald 
In the run-up to the finals, teams will rely on certain players to win the big games for them. For the Knights it's their one-two combination - Robbie O'Davis and Adam MacDougall. Greg Prichard reports. Robbie O'Davis and Adam MacDougall provide the best one- two combination in the game. If you can block the first punch you're doing well. If you can block them both, you might live to fight another day. They lead the way out of their team's danger zone better than any other pair in the competition, and it shows in Newcastle's results. A study of the Knights' record with and without O'Davis and MacDougall since the beginning of last season throws up a stunning imbalance. With both in the team, Newcastle have won 13 out of 14 games. Without them for 22 games, they have won just 11, lost nine and drawn two. The bare statistics, of course, do not tell the whole story. When it comes to winning and losing football games there are many variables - injuries, quality of the opposition, error rates, venue, bounce of the ball . . . 
When Newcastle were without both O'Davis and MacDougall late last season and earlier this season, the difference was alarming. Since they returned from 22-match suspensions for drug use, the Knights' form has improved considerably. Although brilliant players have always had the ability to turn a match, winning games this season has had more to do with precision than ever. Set completions are paramount, and if they can be backed up by a strong kick-and-chase, a team can put the opposition under enormous pressure. If the team receiving the ball under those circumstances can't make significant ground on the kick- return or the following play, a set of six tackles can be ruined. The rest of the plays are used to scramble 10 or 20 metres before trying to achieve a half-decent kick. That is where players such as fullback O'Davis and winger MacDougall are so important. Apart from his many other attributes, O'Davis returns the ball at least as well as any other fullback in the competition. And MacDougall is one of the hardest players to pull down. "It's often a one-two," Newcastle coach Warren Ryan said. "Robbie might run it back from the kick and Adam will get into dummy half for the next run. Each does it very effectively on his own and even more effectively back-to-back. They can create a genuine roll-on." 

MacDougall out for season -  9 Aug, 1999
A BROKEN wrist to barnstorming winger Adam MacDougall was the only blemish to an otherwise perfect day for the Newcastle Knights at Marathon Stadium yesterday as they slaughtered Souths 60-0.  MacDougall was one of Newcastle's many stars before he left the field during the second half and he is now expected to miss the rest of the season. `Being optimistic, my estimate would be five to six weeks but he's probably looking at the rest of the year,' Knights medical officer Dr Peter McGeoch said after examining MacDougall's x-rays. `It's an undisplaced fracture of his distal radius. It won't need plating but it just takes time to mend broken bones.'  Slumped on a dressing-room bench with his arm in a sling, MacDougall was distraught when told the news and was in so much pain he had to be helped to get dressed. 

Doogs next to go -  09 May 2000,  Newcastle Herald 
State of Origin winger Adam MacDougall is believed to have been earmarked for the same `no embarrasing offer' treatment as team-mate Matthew Johns. MacDougall is one of 11 Knights coming off contract at the end of the season and according to sources in the Newcastle camp, he was listed with Johns as players the club would not be negotiating with. MacDougall, in camp with NSW for the first State of Origin match tomorrow, celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday and said he would `definitely reconsider' his future with the club if Matthew and younger brother Andrew left. `If you lose two players of that calibre it's obviously very concerning because the team will be dramatically weakened,' he said. `And you'll have to consider the strength of the team, so obviously it's something that concerns me. I don't want to leave Newcastle but Matthew is a big loss to the club. `He's been there for ten years and it's obviously very disappointing. `Now (the Knights are) probably overflowed in the forward department and they may risk losing a couple of key backline players.' MacDougall's manager George Liolio yesterday sought an assurance from Knights chairman Michael Hill that the blockbusting winger would be given an offer to stay at the club. `I asked Michael Hill if Adam would be treated like Matty Johns and he said "that is not the case",' Liolio said. Liolio said he hoped negotiations would start as early as this week. 
`Adam loves playing for the Knights and wants to sign for another four years,' he said. The Knights have felt the backlash from players and supporters since dropping the bombshell that Johns is not wanted after playing more than 200 matches with the club. The Knights have made Andrew Johns their prime target. Other players coming off contract are captain Tony Butterfield, who is expected to retire, lock Bill Peden, hooker Danny Buderus, resurgent prop David Fairleigh, utility Sean Rudder, boom second-rower Steve Simpson and outstanding backline prospects Timana Tahu and Lenny Beckett. The Knights have to fit their players into a $3.25million salary cap. Hill said in a radio interview on Sunday that the salary cap made it impossible to keep all 11 first-grade players coming off contract. Liolio said he spoke with Knights CEO Ian Bonnette about MacDougall a month ago and was told to wait for a while. `We made contact again last Friday and Ian asked me to ring him today,' Liolio said. `I am keen to get things moving to find out one way or the other if the Knights want him. `They are mad if they don't. `He is the form player of the season. I have no problem with him going to another club if that is the case'. Bonnette said yesterday the club would be making an offer to all the players coming off contract except Butterfield, who is retiring. `I will ensure we have discussions with them or their representatives,' Bonnette said. `I don't think there will be any change in the way we go about things. I have made it clear we don't conduct negotiations through the media for the sake of the players and the club.' 
 
 
 

I'll give it my best shot; Doogs intent on ultimate goals, Herald. May 29, 2000. 
TACKLE-BUSTING winger-cum-fullback Adam MacDougall is running out of opportunities to achieve his career goals and is determined to make them happen this year. MacDougall, who is at a stalemate in contract negotiations with the Knights for next season, said he was desperate to win another premiership with Newcastle and earn selection in Australia's World Cup squad. `My ultimate goal is to play for Australia and I'm pretty determined to not let that pass through my hands this year. I really want to go on that World Cup tour,' MacDougall said. `I wanted to win a State of Origin series this year and I've done that, and I want to win a grand final so I feel all those three goals are attainable this year. If I don't do it this year, it might never happen again so I'm going to give it everything I've got.'
MacDougall climbed out of his sick bed on Saturday to inspire Newcastle to a 30-12 victory over Auckland at Marathon Stadium.
He scored a try, set up one for Matthew Gidley, and broke the Auckland defensive line at will during Newcastle's six-tries-to-two win which moved them to equal third on the NRL ladder on 19 points. He woke on Saturday morning and told his girlfriend, Belinda, that he did not think he could play but did not want to break the news to coach Warren Ryan. The NSW back-line barnstormer then needed oxygen at half-time but his malaise did not stop him producing one of his most impressive performances in Newcastle colours. `I was struggling a little bit in the first half and was looking for a bit of a rest,' MacDougall said. `Warren asked me to give 10 minutes but it turned out to be 40 in the second half so he didn't give me any sympathy. He kept the whips cracking.'
Ryan said it was a big performance. MacDougall said he had returned from this year's Origin series as a better player and could sense a `special feeling' in the Newcastle camp, which coach Warren Ryan had helped create despite a tumultuous season off the field. `He's been under a lot of pressure and there's been a lot of witch-hunting going on for certain people but the club has pulled together tight and the guys are under no illusions that this is probably the best opportunity a number of us are going to have to win a competition,' he said. `I believe we've got the cattle and the coach and the staff at the club to do that. `With Matty (Johns) going and with the quality of players we've got at this club, I think we can go all the way and really make every post a winner from here on in.' 

Where do I sign -  31 May 2000,   Newcastle Herald 
NSW winger Adam MacDougall would have signed with the Knights yesterday if club management came up with a suitable offer. MacDougall said he was disappointed not to have received an offer and indicated the Knights were taking a risk by waiting for rival clubs to make their offers when the anti-tampering deadline ceases on June 30. MacDougall is one of 11 first-graders coming off contract and many are getting frustrated by the Knights' inaction. He said he had knocked back offers of between `$70,000 and $100,000 a season' from other clubs in the past to remain loyal to Newcastle. `I personally would have liked to have seen it finalised sooner rather than later,' 
MacDougall said yesterday before going into camp with NSW for the third State of Origin match next Wednesday. `I'd like to sign today if I could. I'm not really dependent on what other players do. `I know where my heart lies. I want to stay in Newcastle and that's my first priority.' The Knights are delaying all contract negotiations for at least another two weeks while champion halfback Andrew Johns weighs up his future and other clubs move to re-sign their own players. MacDougall said he was `scared' by the prospect of considering offers from rival clubs. `I'd prefer not to have to receive offers from other clubs because maybe the world's eyes will be open to me and I'll see what other clubs can offer me,' he said. `That's the scary thing for me personally. `Waiting until after June 30, I think it's dangerous personally because I know the club hasn't got the capacity other clubs have. `I'm hopeful to have something finalised because I know the grass is probably greener on the other side with some clubs who are looking for some outside backs. `I've made a lot of sacrifices to stay at the club and I'm sure they have made a lot of sacrifices to keep me. `But money isn't everything. I've got to be happy with the coach and the staff and I have to be happy where I think I can play my best football.' Knights chief executive Ian Bonnette said the club would not rush to secure key players such as MacDougall and hooker Danny Buderus. `I'd only be too pleased to sign the contract if the players accepted the offers we make that keep us within the salary cap and to move forward on all fronts,' Bonnette said. 

Tape no prisoners -  11 Jun 2000,  Sun Herald 
Newcastle Adam MacDougall changed his focus for State of Origin III after Wendell Sailor switched wings to mark him. Rather than print ``MOS" (man of series) on his wristband, as he was expected to, he went for the more general ``WIN", ``3-0", ``RELAX" and ``ENJOY". ``I didn't want to get caught up in a personal battle with Wendell," MacDougall explained. ``That wouldn't have helped me or the team. I just wanted to do my job, and if that leads to a spot in the Australian team for the World Cup, then, great." 

Doogs wants gridiron clause  -  17 Jul 2000, Newcastle Herald
The Newcastle Knights will consider including a clause in Adam MacDougall's new four-year contract allowing him to trial with an American football club at the end of this season. The Knights hope to announce MacDougall's retention within the next few days, but that will depend on them agreeing to let him travel to the United States in September to trial with one of five National Football League teams. MacDougall, who said he would make a decision on his future at the weekend, is expected to turn his back on more lucrative offers from rugby union and the Canberra Raiders to sign a new deal with Newcastle worth about $300,000 a season. Knights chief executive Ian Bonnette hopes to finalise negotiations when he meets with MacDougall's manager, George Liolio, today.   Liolio said MacDougall was serious about trying his hand at gridiron and had spoken to an agent with connections with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers. MacDougall could earn up to five times his new contract with the Knights if signed by one of the NFL teams. His resume and some press clippings have been sent to the agent, and the five clubs have since requested videotapes of him in action. `It's still a long shot, but it's the chance of a lifetime for Adam, so we've got to give it a go,' Liolio said last night. 
`If (former Easts centre) Mark Harris did it in the '70s, why can't a player do it in the year 2000 when training methods between the two are much closer?' Liolio said videotapes of some of MacDougall's career highlights would be compiled this week and hand-delivered to representatives of the five clubs by the agent next week. `We assumed that because their trials are on now and Adam can't go that they weren't interested,' he said. `But I received a phone call about it late last week, and it looks like he might be able to go over and trial after all, possibly in September. `That would be after the grand final and before the World Cup, if he gets picked, so hopefully things will work out and he can go over.

Interview with Knight Adam MacDougall,  18 July 2000,  Newcastle Herald
Nickname: Doogs and Mad Dog. 
Age: 25 years. 
Hobbies: Scuba diving and travelling. 
Favourite food: Pavlova. 
When did you start playing football?: When I was eight years old. 
Favourite restaurant: Little Swallows. 
Favourite movie: The Hurricane. 
Favourite type of music: Anything on 2HD. 
Do you have a girlfriend?: Yes. 
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?: Married with children. 
Where did you go to school?: De la Salle, Cronulla.
Your loves other than football? Family and loved ones. 
Are you upset because Matthew Johns is leaving?: Yes.

MacDougall stays with Knights -  25 July, 2000
Newcastle utility Adam MacDougall re-signed with the club for four seasons today after turning down offers from the Canberra Raiders and Australian Rugby Union (ARU). MacDougall maintained from the beginning of his negotiations with Newcastle that he would prefer to stay with the Knights, but contract talks dragged on for months. The new deal ties MacDougall to the Knights until the end of the 2004 season. The ARU stepped up its bid for MacDougall yesterday by seeking clarification on whether All Black winger Jonah Lomu had clearance from the International Rugby Board to take banned medication for a kidney complaint. MacDougall, who was suspended for drug-taking in 1998, has since been cleared to take medication for an underactive pituitary gland. 

Fan-forced; Supporters sway MacDougall to re-sign; Jul 26, 2000. 
THE privilege of representing the people of Newcastle while playing the game he loves convinced Adam MacDougall to remain a Knight for life.
The unstoppable NSW winger ended months of speculation yesterday by signing a four-year contract with the Knights worth about $300,000 a season.
MacDougall, 25, said he could have earned more money at another NRL club, playing rugby union or American football. But when it came to the crunch he could not bring himself to leave his adopted home town. `This will probably be the last contract I'll ever sign so allowing for the fact I was going to lose a lot of money by staying here, I had to be at ease with myself that I was going to be financially secure after football,' MacDougall said. `Just living in Newcastle itself, there's a lot of opportunities here for me outside of football when I'm finished, so that's something I can look forward to as well. `I've never hidden the fact that the reason I'm so much in love with the club is not because of the administration or the red and blue uniform, it's the people that make up Newcastle as a city and as a sporting base for their rugby league team. It's a rare opportunity to run out in front of 30,000 Novocastrians every week. We have a very fortunate role to play here in the club in that we carry a lot of hopes and aspirations for a lot of general working people and it's a great honour to represent Newcastle. I feel like I'm representing more than just myself when I run out every week. I feel like I'm representing the whole of Newcastle and there's no prouder feeling in rugby league.'
MacDougall said he was still keen to fulfil his fantasies of playing gridiron or rugby union some time down the track but for now he wanted to pursue his passion of playing rugby league. There had been speculation that the International Rugby Board, unlike the NRL, would not have allowed him to use the banned medication he needs to treat hypopituitarism if he accepted offers to play rugby. But MacDougall said that was not a factor and that Queensland and NSW had tried to lure him to the 15-a-side form of football. Switching codes or playing league in England would have ended his chances of playing for Australia in the World Cup at the end of the season a goal he set at the start of the year. Other factors in his decision were a discussion with new coach Michael Hagan last week and a presentation by the club's Blue and Red Army of supporters. `A few weeks ago, the Knights' army presented me with a ring which was a lovely gesture,' he said.
`That showed how much they really wanted me to stay at the club and it was a sign of appreciation, I suppose, because I've always made time for the supporters.
`All of that support has been tremendous and at the end of the day, when you've got that sort of support it makes your decision a lot easier.
`Money's not everything and I certainly can't complain because I'm getting paid to do something I love to do. At the end of the day I'm very fortunate to be in the position I'm in, where I'm earning an income out of playing rugby league.'

New contract - On season 2000, MacDougall stated, ‘But money isn’t everything I have to be happy with the coach; I have to be happy with the staff and I have to be happy with the fact that I’m where I’m going to be able to play my best football; to me its not a money thing; to me it’s a being able to say that I’m comfortable where I’m at and I know that I’m going to be able to go out there perform week in and week out and for me it’s a personal pride thing; I know if I can play my best football at a club that’s where I want to be so obviously there are issues here which are concerning me; we don’t have any idea who the coach is going to be and we are not sure what the playing staff is going to be next year but I know that the place Newcastle itself provides a great atmosphere for me to play good football and that’s why I’d like to stay here.’
In a major boost for the Newcastle Knights on the eve of their semi final campaign, blockbusting outside back Adam MacDougall has today announced he has agreed to terms with the club for the next four years.  The twenty-five year old, who has been in smashing form in 2000, rejected several offers from NRL clubs as well as interest from rugby union to stay in the Knights colours until 2004. Speaking today Adam said he was extremely relieved to have settled his future, particularly with the big games just around the corner.   "At no stage did I want to leave Newcastle," he said. "This is not only a great club, but it is a great town to live in and those factors were significant in my decision to stay in Newcastle." 
"It is true I attracted some interest from other organisations, but it was always my intention to work towards a deal that would keep me here."  "Not only do we have a great team now, but I think it has the potential to develop even more in years to come. Some of the boys are still only teenagers so I think we can look to the future with a degree of confidence."

New contract - The unstoppable NSW winger ended months of speculation yesterday by signing a four-year contract with the Knights. MacDougall, 25, said he could have earned more money at another NRL club, playing rugby union or American football.  But when it came to the crunch he could not bring himself to leave his adopted home town.  "Just living in Newcastle itself, there's a lot of opportunities here for me outside of football when I'm finished, so that's something I can look forward to as well.

Doogs touts family values  - Herald. Aug 19, 2000.
Adam MacDougall has described the Knights as one big happy family, so it is no wonder they have adopted the K-I-S-S policy for tonight's preliminary final against the Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium.  Simplicity (keep it simple, stupid) is the key, MacDougall said, to beating the Roosters and qualifying for tomorrow week's grand final against Brisbane or Parramatta at Stadium Australia. `We've got a lot tighter bond than what we've had in the previous couple of years,' said MacDougall, one of seven members of the current squad who played in Newcastle's ARL grand final win over Manly in 1997. `There's a real good feeling in the team. `We're very close to one another again so there's a real feel like we had in 1997, where it's like one big family. `It's been a thorough preparation and it's all going to be worthwhile on Saturday night. I'm pretty sure that we've got our priorities right this weekend and hopefully we can put in performance like we did against Melbourne two weeks ago. We just want to go out and play simple football. We realise the simple things are going to win us the game. Finals football is always going to be an arm-wrestle, so we just have to go forward early and respect the ball. The Roosters are a classy team but we're very confident we can make our second grand final appearance.'
Having also experienced the rare atmosphere and faster pace of eight Origin games for NSW, MacDougall said it was important for the Knights to enjoy themselves tonight. `I think the guys who've played in these big games realise they're very special and something you really want to cherish and hold on to,' he said.
`Once you're out there you've got to enjoy it. It's not something you should be apprehensive about. It's not every year you get an opportunity to play in a grand final and we're really going to take it with both hands.'
The likelihood of a wet track will make defusing bombs and grubber kicks even more difficult for MacDougall and opposite number Luke Phillips. But MacDougall has done extra work on his positional play and kick receptions in recent weeks and is confident of handling the pressure. `I'm not too happy about the wet weather but it's something I'll have to cope with, and the guy wearing number one for the Roosters is at the same disadvantage,' he said. `It's going to make our jobs a little harder but I always enjoy a challenge, so I'm looking forward to it.' * Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns is so unpredictably brilliant that the Sydney Roosters have not bothered trying to devise a game plan to combat him. Roosters Test forward Bryan Fletcher, who played alongside Johns for NSW this year, says his side opted against studying videos of the Knights' chief playmaker ahead of tonight's game. Fletcher said most halfbacks in the NRL could be plotted against because they stepped off the same foot or passed to a preferred side. However, he said Johns was a different proposition. `It's hard with Joey because you don't know what he's going to do, and I don't think he knows what he's going to do some of the time,' Fletcher said.

We should have won the title: MacDougall  -  29 Aug 2000,  Newcastle Heraldd 
Newcastle utility back Adam MacDougall is convinced the Knights would have beaten Brisbane in Sunday's NRL grand final. The Broncos overpowered the Sydney Roosters 14-6 at Stadium Australia to maintain their unbeaten record in grand finals and clinch their fifth premiership in nine years. The Roosters qualified for the title decider by recovering from a 16-2 deficit against the Knights in the preliminary final a week earlier to win 26-20. MacDougall, one of four Knights named in Australia's World Cup squad, was too devastated to speak to the media after losing to the Roosters, but he broke his silence yesterday in typically controversial fashion. `It's pretty hard to get over what happened. I personally believe it's probably the greatest chance I'll ever have to win a grand final and it's the one that definitely got away,' MacDougall said. `Even looking back on yesterday's game, it was more disappointing than ever given the fact that Brisbane were there to be beaten by ourselves. `It wasn't to be, so it's something that's going to be very hard to get over because winning a grand final is probably a lot harder than most things in football. `But being a bit selfish, I suppose on a personal note this probably far outweighs anything that you can do. `Personally, I know that it goes a long way to making this a great year for me.' MacDougall can express his feelings in person to Brisbane's four World Cup representatives Wendell Sailor, Gorden Tallis, Shane Webcke and Darren Lockyer when the Australians meet in Sydney tomorrow for medicals. He will probably start the tour behind incumbent wingers Sailor and Mat Rogers, but as one of only six specialist outside backs in the touring party, the block-busting 25-year-old is sure to see plenty of game time. Australian coach Chris Anderson said MacDougall, who played fullback for Newcastle for most of the year but was the stand-out winger in the State of Origin series, would also be used in the centres as a back-up to Matthew Gidley and Ryan Girdler. `I've been picked in the squad and now the rest is up to me, so it will probably come down to how well I play in the trial matches and how well I train,' he said. `Obviously I'm going to have my work cut out but it's something I'm very excited about and something I'm looking forward to. `It means we're going to get a lot of time in the backs because they've only picked a few of us so we're assured of getting a lot of football.' 

Doogs savours national service  -  6 Oct 2000, Newcastle Herald
Step by step, Adam MacDougall has scaled the heights of the rugby league world, and he will reach the pinnacle tomorrow night when he runs onto Townsville's Dairy Farmers Stadium for his Australian debut. He will become the ninth Newcastle Knight to wear the famous green and gold. The eight internationals take pride of place in the Knights' head office, and MacDougall has been itching to get his photo beside the others. `It is something that I have been looking at for a long time,' MacDougall said yesterday after the Australian team completed their training run. `We've got all the photos at the club of the people who have played, and to be the ninth is something that I'm very proud of. `I'm very lucky to play in a great side with Newcastle, but here we've got the best players in the world all together.' 
A veteran of eight State of Origin matches, MacDougall's big break came this year when he turned in three sensational performances for the Blues as they whitewashed the Queenslanders. The Knights fullback is more than happy to start his debut Test on the bench, but he is keen to work his way into the starting line-up before the team departs for the World Cup on October 22. `I've been told that I'm being used as the third centre,' he said. `I've played a bit of fullback, centre and wing this year, so from here it is up to me really.'

Doogs grabs five tries in Roos' romp  16 Oct 2000, Newcastle Herald
Adam MacDougall came nowhere near the national try-scoring record set by Novocastrian Brian Carlson in 1953, despite the Kangaroos' 108-0 flogging of New Zealand Residents at Gosford on Saturday night. MacDougall, filling in at centre for injured Knights team-mate Matthew Gidley, scored the first three tries of the match and added two in the second half. The Kangaroos, who used the match to complete a two-week training camp, scored 20 tries and kicked 14 goals for a record winning margin. The previous best had been in a match against a New Zealand provincial side in 1953, when the Kangaroos won 98-7. Carlson, who played on the wing in that match, scored nine tries and landed two goals for 31 points.

Mad Dog: he's sane -  13 Nov 2000.  Newcastle Herald 
Those closest to Australian and Newcastle try-scoring tear-away Adam MacDougall are concerned that people have the wrong idea about him. MacDougall's girlfriend, Belinda Krum, contacted Sidelines to insist that the man known as `Mad Dog' is not a loose cannon. Belinda said MacDougall did NOT fly solo to Amsterdam last week while the rest of the Kangaroos used a two-day break to visit Spain or Ireland. `Adam went to Scotland with Adam Lindsay, one of his mates from Newcastle University who lives in England now. He's going to be best man at his (Linday's) wedding next year,' she said. `I don't know where they got story about him going off to Amsterdam on his own. They just want to make out that he's strange.' MacDougall will visit Amsterdam, among other continental tourist destinations, when he and Belinda travel through Europe together after the World Cup final. As for almost missing the plane to England at the start of the tour, Belinda said that was only because he and fellow Knights internationals Andrew Johns, Matthew Gidley and Ben Kennedy had too much luggage for the flight from Belmont to Sydney and MacDougall volunteered to travel by car. `It wasn't as if he wasn't allowed on the plane,' she said. `I was the only one of the girls who could drive to Sydney so Adam came with me and we took the excess luggage with us.' And the bottle-blonde hairdo? All part of the facial and/or funny hair competition, which wound up on Friday after criticism about the team's image. Most of the Kangaroos shaved their newly acquired whiskers but MacDougall and fellow winger Mat Rogers were still sporting snow-white heads of hair in yesterday's 66-10 quarter-final victory over Samoa. MacDougall came off the bench to score two more tries and has now managed at least one try in each of his first five Test appearances and is challenging for a starting berth in next weekend's semi-final. * There could be a surprise nomination for the Newcastle Knights' board of directors when nominations close on Friday, November 24, from a very experienced rugby league official who knows the ins and outs of the game at the highest level, all the top brass and is planning a move back to Newcastle. He is disappointed at the running of the club and the handling of the Knights Leagues Club and has no alignment with either the present NRL or Knights factions.