Fifita grateful to become Murri Carnival 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."
