BMD Indigenous Round: Casey-Douglas on the unity league gives
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Terrence Casey-Douglas knows better than most how powerful rugby league is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
A proud Tagalaka and Kurtijar man, Casey-Douglas grew up in Normanton, a rural town northeast of Mt Isa and far west of Cairns, where his dad was from.
His mum was from nearby Croydon.
“My dad was a ringer growing up his whole life and he worked on a cattle station,” Casey-Douglas said.
“Every chance we got as kids, we’d go out with dad on the weekends and connect with Country. We embraced that and loved every single part of it and I’m grateful that I got to do that as a kid.
“Very few kids get to do that and be connected to their grassroots and where their ancestors are from and connecting with Country and being on Country.”
A Normanton Stingers junior, the towering Northern Pride prop then watched as his own cousin – Davin Crampton – paved his way through rugby league from their humble hometown, starting with the Cairns-based Pride before moving to the Tweed Seagulls through a one-year deal with the Gold Coast Titans.
He finished his Hostplus Cup career with the Townsville Blackhawks and Casey-Douglas remembers clearly the impact both Crampton and the Pride had on him from a young age.
“I remember as a young fella when the Pride first started back in ‘08 the players would come out to visit us and we didn’t know who they were but we’d idolise them,” he said.
“A few years later, my older cousin Davin Crampton got picked up from Normanton with the Pride. So for us, you could see where the pathways lead.
“When I first joined the Pride myself, I was in awe for a bit there. I originally went down to Brisbane for boarding school and I spent my senior year there. I then got an opportunity after I finished school to move to back to Cairns and play for Pride in under 20s.
“I did that for a year and I just played some good footy with those boys and got an opportunity with the Cup side back in 2019.
“I’ve been grateful every time I’ve donned the jersey for the Pride and I’m grateful for the position I’m in and the support from my close friends and my community as well.
“Normanton are big on supporting their youth going through.”
Now with 48 Cup games under his belt, the 25-year-old is big on giving back to his community and showing Indigenous youth where he has gone in life.
He knows that sport is a key way of engaging with his community back home but as a landscaper by trade, Casey-Douglas is also kicking goals off the field as well.
He is currently a Tropical North Queensland regional finalist in this year’s Queensland Training Awards, nominated for both Apprentice of the Year and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year.
For him, he likes to highlight where a strong work ethic can take you.
“For me and the path that I’ve taken, the best way I can encourage the next generation coming through is to get back on Country as much as they can and utilise my resources with the Pride by going back and giving back to community,” he said.
“Sport is a massive tool. The unity that it brings with everyone in the community is second to none.
“Only a few weeks back they had a golf cluster in Normanton. They’re getting two to three thousand people in the crowd for that.
“You can see how that really is a massive tool for unity and bringing communities together, celebrating and enjoying the sport and being with one another.
“It’s good for the little ones as it gives them something to aspire to. It keeps the little ones out of trouble as well. It keeps them busy.
“Any sport, I think it’s good for any child or person to be in sport.
“When I do go back and chat with the kids at school or on the footy field, I tell them nothing is going to be easy or handed to you.
“You have to have a good work ethic and be willing to put in the work to see the rewards. If I can be that person, be a role model, be a leader to inspire and push them to go further than I have, that would be a tick for me because it feels like I’m giving back to my community and young indigenous lads.”
It is this unity and connectedness that Casey-Douglas loves to see among his community that he expects to see again this weekend across the state as the Hostplus Cup celebrates BMD Indigenous Round.
While Casey-Douglas is not named to play, he knows how important the weekend is in celebrating Indigenous culture and the Indigenous players of the game.
The Pride are also currently in a back-and-forth battle with the Norths Devils for top spot on the competition ladder and will take on the Central Queensland Capras in Cairns this Saturday as they continue their push for No.1
“It’s a round for Indigenous players within Cup to embrace their culture and show the people that they’re proud of their culture and proud to represent where they come from and their background,” he said.
“For the Pride, we’re obviously in a better position this year and that’s because of the team and the work ethic that everyone has in this squad and the accountability that everyone holds each other to, not just in the coaching staff but as players as well.
“There’s a standard from Garreth (Smith) our CEO right down to development players. Everyone has that standard and we all abide to it. That’s why we’re in the position we’re in.
“There’s a lot of respect within the group for Eric (Smith) as a coach. Everyone is learning, especially me. I’m learning a lot this year off Eric.
“He instils a lot of confidence in us. We’re still a pretty young side and he’s driven our confidence through the roof.
“Coming off an ACL injury, it was quite daunting returning but Eric in October last year, he got in touch with me and said he wanted me in the squad and said there were no promises but if I work hard, the results will come. I’ve been grateful to be named in most games this season barring one and this weekend.
“Moving forward, it’s about no complacency within the squad. Eric is always reiterating that as soon as complacency creeps in, you stray from the end goal, which is to win.”
