Deon Bird - Playing Above The Line
Deon Bird is a husband, a father of four, an ex professional rugby league player, a mental health advocate, a proud Aboriginal man, a trainer, a coach, and one of the wellbeing and education officers at the Redcliffe Dolphins for both the NRL team and the state league.
Deon says that he once thought that he was put on this earth to play rugby league, but through becoming a mentor for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, Deon realized his true purpose, assisting people to develop self awareness and build skills to navigate challenging times, in particular, Indigenous youth.
Deon's professional rugby league career spanned 11 years, starting with the Brisbane Broncos in 1994, before travelling to England and France to play there. Now three of Deon's kids are playing rugby, and he's working hard to assist in creating a pathway NRLW.