Titans, Deadly Choices and Indigenous Australia

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Titans extend Deadly Choices partnership
The Gold Coast Titans have announced that we will be continuing their long-standing partnership with Deadly Choices in 2022. The partnership will continue empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – to stop smoking, to eat good food and exercise daily. The partnership will also work closely with local Community Controlled Health Service Kalwun, to ensure our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples complete an annual 715 health check and in return receive a Titans Deadly Choices shirt.

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Lakeeta goes from strength to strength after graduation
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...er-graduation/

For many, a football club is defined by what it does in those 80 minutes each weekend in Winter, but for Lakeeta McGrath, the Titans are much more.

McGrath is a graduate of the Titans' 'Deadly Futures' program and her star has continued to rise since joining the club and program.

Following her Deadly Futures graduation McGrath has gone on to be a member of the NRL's School to Work program and recently went to Sydney to represent the Titans at the NRL Youth Summit - an event for Indigenous students in year 11.

From the 65 students that attended Lakeeta won female ambassador of the year and she will represent the NRL as a youth ambassador for the next 12 months.

Despite her meteoric rise McGrath continues to volunteer with the club across its events and administration activities and hopes to take here learnings and experience into her post-school career,

Donate to Titans Together and support their ongoing work to help students like Lakeeta McGrath. Donate here.

Deadly Futures

Deadly Futures sees students guided on a pathway to a greater understanding and a stronger sense of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.

Students will be encouraged to discover more about their own identity to inspire them to choose a pathway to lead them to success but to also help them deal with setbacks and empower them to find their feet and continue on their journey.

Titans Together

As a NRL club, our voice is louder than most. But we're determined to use it to fuel positive change. To speak up for those in our community who often feel unheard. And through our actions, we Care, Include, Unite and Inspire - making life better for our region's most vulnerable people. Together, we're Titans.

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Fifita grateful to become Murri Carnival ambassador
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...al-ambassador/

At age 15, David Fifita's life changed all thanks to the Queensland Murri Carnival.

A young kid in Inala who lived and breathed footy, it was his opportunity in Redcliffe at the annual event in 2015 that put him in the spotlight and kick-started the successful rugby league career that he has now at the Gold Coast Titans.

Starring for the Queensland Murri Under 16s in those years growing up, he quickly progressed through the grades ahead of his first crack at the top grade in 2018, before debuting for the mighty Queensland Maroons in 2019.

Fast forward seven years later and 80 games into his NRL career, the 22-year-old now has a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of talent as the Queensland Murri Carnival's first event ambassador, hoping to help discover the next Indigenous star like himself coming through the ranks.

"I'm really grateful for the opportunity that is ahead of myself. I'm also grateful for the people behind the scenes who has given me this opportunity and it means a lot for myself," he said.

"Being a young fella out of Inala playing in the Murri Carnival at Redcliffe when I was 15 years old, I think it was just a really big opportunity there and I think that's where I first came onto the scene as a young fella and got put in the eyes of some clubs.

"I'm really grateful for this opportunity and I can't wait to represent the Arthur Beetson Foundation and moving forward, representing myself and my family."

As preparations for the 2022 edition of the carnival ramp up, Fifita wants to encourage all young Indigenous players to join a team and participate in the carnival that will play out from Tuesday, September 27 to Sunday, October 2 in Redcliffe.

"When I played in that carnival as a junior, I played twice... a year younger and then a year up. I remember playing with Brayden Trindall who's now at the Sharks. He was there with one of the teams we ended up making the same rep team together and look at us now," Fifita reminisced.

"It's just a big occasion for young, Indigenous kids. They sometimes don't really get looked at in other representative teams, anything like that and for myself, I've just known footy, footy, footy my whole life."

In conjunction with the Arthur Beetson Foundation and Deadly Choices who co-support the event, the Titans forward will begin his role immediately, wanting to make his family and community proud by making a difference as a role model for Indigenous youth.

"I'm Tongan and Torres Strait Islander and to do this for my family and to be a role model for the kids... it means a lot," Fifita said.

"I just want to be a good role model in the community.

"With the position I'm in now, kids can look up to me and I just want to be a good person for them."

Find out more about the 2022 Murri Carnival here.

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Deadly Futures helps Indigenous youth in Casino to success
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...th-to-success/

Jyron Robertson's aspirations to one day become a doctor have been kept well and truly alive thanks to the Titans' Deadly Futures program.

The young Indigenous student is one of the many success stories from the initiative run in partnership with the Preston Campbell Foundation, working with Year 9 and 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to learn about Indigenous timelines, cultural identity and career aspirations.

Admitting he had fallen in with the wrong crowd, it was the Titans life member and figurehead of the program that helped him get back on track to continue on his dream career path.

"Before this program, I wasn’t totally ashamed but I was a little bit ashamed," he said.

"Talking with Preston allowed me to open up more and talk about how I feel.

"We did this activity the other day where we did have to ask for help.

"That really means a lot to me because earlier this year, I was going through stuff and hanging around a bad crowd. I got on drugs and stuff but that’s when I asked for help."

Over the past few months, Campbell and the team have worked with Robertson and other students from Casino Public School and Bonalbo Central School at the Windara Community and Resource Centre with the aim to Inspire the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

The Gold Coast Titans community leader is proud to be part of the program that has spanned the past seven years, elaborating on the importance of the initiative and connecting within a community that has its recent challenges.

"This program just fits so well with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and it’s important because they need to hear it, especially in Casino at the moment," Campbell said.

"They’ve had a pretty tough time, not just with the natural disasters, but they’ve had some pretty tough stuff in the community and I think they’ve really needed to hear something a little more positive.

"Hopefully we’ve been able to provide that."

Through participating in the Deadly Futures program, it has allowed Robertson to open up to the people around him, which in turn has helped him to continue to aspire to chase his career goals.

“It's brought people close to me and when I’ve got people close to me, it’s easy for me to open up. If I need help I can just ask them," he said.

"I don’t like to see anyone struggling. If I see anyone struggling, I want to try and help them.

"I want to become a doctor. It’s always been a dream of mine and this program will help me get there."

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Fans flock to successful Titans NAIDOC event
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...-naidoc-event/

The wait for this year's NAIDOC event was certainly worth it for Titans fans, flocking to Mudgeeraba for the annual community event on Tuesday.

Usually held in July to coincide with the week of reconciliation events and celebrations, adverse weather forced the date to be postponed but despite the date change, there was no effect with the interest levels

Over 2000 people attended at Firth Park, which also saw over a dozen of the playing squad attend to mingle, sign autographs and take photos with fans, including highly-popular forward David Fifita.

Recently returning from his World Cup duties, the Tongan star was overwhelmed at the huge turn out for the special event.

"I didn't know this many people were going to show up. It's really exciting for the community," he told 7 News Gold Coast.

The most popular Titan was by far Jayden Campbell, with the exciting young gun keen to meet the next generation who were eager to cross paths with the talented fullback.

The day also brought back memories for Brian Kelly, who remembers being on the other side of the fence in his junior days.

"Growing up, I was one of these kids here running around and going up to players asking them to sign my shirt and my posters," when speaking 9 News Gold Coast.

Titans chair Dennis Watt was among the revellers and was overjoyed to see such a successful event take place.

"It was an absolute pleasure to see so many people attend our annual NAIDOC day despite us having to move the date from earlier in the year due to wet weather," he said.

"It's one of the biggest days I've seen in my time, and we are extremely proud to partner with Kalwun Corporation and Deadly Choices to host such an inspiring event.

"It's great to see the community unite as one for such an important purpose, coming together to celebrate our First Nations cultures."

The annual event will return in 2023.

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'Unifying voice': Campbell honoured with OAM
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...ured-with-oam/

Preston Campbell has been hailed as a unifying voice for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, an inspiration for players to make a difference off the field and a trailblazer on it after being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Campbell, who was the driving force behind the All Stars concept in 2010, was recognised in the 2023 Australia Day honours with an OAM for service to Indigenous youth and rugby league.

The 2001 Dally M Medallist and 2003 premiership winner overcame concerns about his size from some within the game, while working tirelessly in the community since his playing days with Cronulla, Penrith and Gold Coast.

“I don’t think people realise that his whole life - seven days a week - is dedicated to young people in communities, and how much he actually gives of himself to make even the littlest difference in someone’s day, so it is awesome to see that he has got this recognition,” Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council chair Katrina Fanning said.

Campbell, who was the first player signed by the Titans when they joined the NRL in 2007, convinced officials to back the introduction of an Indigenous All Stars team after witnessing first-hand the reaction to the Aboriginal Dreamtime team which played before the 2008 World Cup opener.

He has definitely influenced me to take on this road.

The annual fixture has been a vehicle to promote education and health to Indigenous youth while educating the broader community about issues confronting First Nations people.

Many of those issues are now at the centre of discussions about an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

“Preston has always been a unifying voice,” said Dean Widders, the NRL Indigenous pathways manager, Eels NRLW coach and man responsible for the creation of the Unity Dance performed by the Indigenous All Stars.

“You have other people who will be more confrontational and combative about issues with strong opinions and fiery, aggressive tones but he has always been the voice that brings everyone together and that is how he has been able to do a lot of his work.

“That is what All Stars was about. He set it up to bring people together – not us against them. It was not about our culture to be showcased; it was about our culture to be shared. That is an important message as we keep progressing All Stars.”

The 45-year-old has also been a role model and mentor for other NRL stars, including Greg Inglis, Johnathan Thurston and his son Jayden Campbell, who has inherited the No.1 Titans jersey that Preston wore in most of his 103 matches for the club.

"The Indigenous All Stars is his baby and since that started there are a lot of boys that are finding out about their family history and their culture - myself included," said Thurston, whose academy provides employment initiatives and community programs across Australia.

That was a really big moment in my life. If the All Stars wasn't around I wouldn't be able to do what I have ended up doing.

"I know there are other players who have been able to do that too so he has been a huge role model for not only our nation's youth but also the players at the highest level now because of what he has been able to achieve and give back to the game."

After retiring in 2011, Campbell founded the Preston Campbell Foundation, which operates Presto’s Training Café at Dreamworld to help school leavers gain experience and qualifications in hospitality.

“He has definitely influenced me to take on this road with what he does so I am glad he has received this recognition because it is thoroughly deserved,” said Inglis, who has established the Goanna Academy to help end the stigma about mental health.

“What he has taught me through footy and what I am doing now have been exactly the same.

"He has had his own issues [with mental health] and he wasn’t shy to speak about it. He said, ‘just be honest with yourself’ and that is what I have been doing.

“There are no secrets about me when I go out and talk about my struggles. It’s out there and he just really taught me, ‘don’t hide anything’ if you are going to do community work. If you stay true to yourself, the better it is going to be in the long run.”

Both Fanning and Widders used anecdotes to explain the impact Campbell has in the community and across the game.

“There’s not too many players who still pull a crowd like he does so many years after playing,” said Fanning, who was awarded an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the Indigenous community through education, health initiatives, and to sport.

“I remember Arthur Beetson was doing some work with Centrelink with us not long before he passed away and he had that impact. Preston is the same.

“With All Stars, his emphasis has been on making sure the week and other activities across the year are more meaningful than just the game, and those things started to teach people outside of Indigenous communities.

“Over time, they have learned more that have enabled other things [like the Voice to Parliament] to gain momentum.

“He is just able to bring people along and they feel comfortable, especially on issues that many people - because of their discomfort – usually shy away from.”

Widders said wherever he went with Campbell, people wanted to talk with him and he always made time for them.

‘When I played Country with him at Dubbo I got up in the morning and he was sitting outside the hotel on the street with a group of people around him talking. He was having a coffee and he spoke with them for about 45 minutes.

“After the people left I said, ‘who is that bra, your family?’. He said, ‘I don’t know, I’m not sure who they are. They were just driving past, and they pulled over and wanted to have a yarn'. Every day with him is the same.

“We would visit remote communities in Queensland when we were working together at the Gold Coast and when we got back Preston could remember the name of every kid that we visited.

“It just shows that he sees everyone as important. If you meet the boss of a big company, you remember his name, but Preston remembered all the kids and all the teachers that we came across. Everyone is important enough for him to treat them with respect.”

MEDAL (OAM) OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA IN THE GENERAL DIVISION: Mr Thomas Preston CAMPBELL, QLD
For service to Indigenous youth, and to rugby league.

Preston Campbell Foundation

• Founder and Director (since 2015)
• Board Member (since 2015)
• Founder, Presto's Training Cafe Gold Coast (2016) and Brisbane (2017)

Indigenous Mental Health

• Volunteer, Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathway Project (current)
• Ambassador, Deadly Choices, Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (current)
• Indigenous Ambassador, various mental health programs (current)

Gold Coast Titans

• Player Mentor (current)
• Partner, Titans Community Team (current)
• Member, Advisory Group, Titans Reconciliation Action Plan (current)
• Life Member (inducted 2019)
• Ambassador, Titan's Beyond Tomorrow Program (2019)
• Player (2007-2011)

National Rugby League

• Ambassador, All-Stars State of Mind Campaign (current)
• Presenter, National Rugby League Community Program (since 2018)
• Player: Penrith Panthers (2003-2006)
• Player: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (1999-2002)
• Player: Gold Coast Chargers (1998)

Business

• Director, Phyre Apparel (current)

Awards and Recognition include:

• Eastern Stand named in his honour, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast (2018)
• Ken Stephen Medal, National Rugby League (2008)
• Player of the Year, Gold Coast Titans Football Club (2008)
• Centenary Medal (2003)
• Dally M Medal, National Rugby League (2001)

* source: Australia Day 2023 Honours List

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Titans' NAIDOC event returns in December
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...teammate-tino/



After a false start in July the Titans NAIDOC Day event will return this December.

Rain postponed the much loved event but it will return to Firth Park, Mudgeeraba on Friday 15 December with over 50 stall holders, activities and displays.

With trampolines, face painting, touch football and games for kids of all ages the event has something for everyone.

On the main stage there will be performances from First Nations groups across the afternoon.

And, you will be able to get your Titans fix with NRL and NRLW players and legends in attendance across the day.

Plus you could win one of 2 x Family packs of four 4-Game Flexi Memberships just for being there on the day.

Food and drink stalls ranging from traditional to contemporary will also be available on the day.

To find out more stay tuned to the Titans website and official page here.