At the age of 15, David Fifita’s life changed all thanks to the Murri Carnival in Queensland.
A young kid in Inala who lived and breathed footy, it was his chance at Redcliffe in the annual event in 2015 that thrust him into the spotlight and launched the successful rugby league career he now has at the Gold Coast Titans.
Playing for the Queensland Murri Under 16s in those growing years, he quickly progressed through the grades before his first knock in the top grade in 2018, before debuting for the Queensland Maroons in 2019.
Seven years on and 80 games into his NRL career, the 22-year-old now has a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of talent as Queensland Murri Carnival’s first event ambassador, hoping to help unearth stardom next indigenous like him. coming through the ranks.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity in front of me. I’m also grateful to the people behind the scenes who have given me this opportunity and that means a lot to myself,” he said.
“Being a young lad from Inala playing at the Murri Carnival in Redcliffe when I was 15, I think it was just a really big opportunity there and I think that’s where I first got on stage as a young lad and established myself .in the eyes of some clubs.
“I am truly grateful for this opportunity and look forward to representing the Arthur Beetson Foundation and moving forward, representing myself and my family.”
As he prepares for the 2022 edition of the carnival, Fifita wants to encourage all young Indigenous players to join a team and take part in the carnival which will be played from Tuesday, September 27 to Sunday, October 2 in Redcliffe.
“When I played in that carnival as a junior, I played twice… my junior year and then my junior year. I remember playing with Brayden Trindall, who is now at the Sharks. He was there with one of the teams that we finished the same representative team together and look at us now”, recalled Fifita.
“It’s just a great occasion for the young, indigenous kids. They sometimes don’t really get looked at in other representative teams, that sort of thing and for myself, I’ve just known footy, footy, footy all my life.”
In association with the Arthur Beetson Foundation and Deadly Choices who are co-sponsoring the event, the Titans forward will start 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 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.”
Learn more about Murri Carnival 2022 here.
