Juggling all the rigours of professional rugby league would be plenty for most, but for Madi Mulhall it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Still just 22, Madi – who is fresh off claiming the Dragons Medal as the club’s NRLW Player of the Year – is also in the midst of her fourth year at Australian Catholic University studying a double degree in Sports and Exercise Science and Psychology whilst still dedicating time on top of that towards her two jobs as a youth coach and a disability support worker.
“I’m studying full-time, so I do four units per semester. I love it,” Madi said.
“It’s basically what I do in the real world just applied theoretically. It’s helped me mentally and physically understand what goes on in the brain when you’re training and playing and how performance anxiety can fit into all that, which is cool. I’ve definitely learnt a lot about myself and other people along the way.
“Up until Year 10 or 11 before footy all started, I wanted to go into the cops or paramedics but when footy became more serious, it all took a turn for me. I had to think of an alternative pathway and, because I was getting into sports and was interested in how the brain worked, I sort of put two and two together.”
The biggest challenge for Madi is maintaining the balance between the different spheres of her life as she continues making her climb up the professional ladder on and off the field.
“It’s challenging because I’m also doing three different placements at the moment before footy starts,” she said.
“For me, it’s just figuring out where your priorities are. I think it all comes down to you personally being motivated and dedicated enough to do the things you do. Without that, you don't really have much of a chance.”
“I just have placements in between to get my hours up before footy season starts, so, in season, I can just solely focus on footy and put everything into footy. For me, it’s just figuring out where your priorities are. I think it all comes down to you personally being motivated and dedicated enough to do the things you do. Without that, you don't really have much of a chance.”
Madi’s path forward wasn’t always clear for her through her transition from high school into the workforce and her tertiary studies, but the Camden Rams junior has developed a newfound confidence in recent years.
“I think I am a lot more confident than what I was. The first two years of my degree involved a lot of history and science behind like what you’re actually learning,” she said.
“Now getting to do placement and seeing what it’s like in the real world is really cool. I think I’m definitely more confident in my future. However footy goes doesn’t really affect my degree, I’ll have that double degree under my belt. After footy’s done, I can fall back on that and potentially go into further studies.”
Madi credits her parents, teammates, friends, educators and staff for helping her navigate and manage how the different spheres of her life interact.
“I definitely have a good support system,” she said.
“Mum and Dad are good; they’ve learnt over the last few years that I can’t always commit to outside things. My priorities at the moment are footy and study and working around that. They’re very easy and understanding of that fact that I’ve got things to do which can be difficult because there’s obviously sacrifices. I have a good support system around me here at the Dragons as well. Crossy, Sammy, and the rest of the team know that I study, so they’ve helped a lot.”
Sammy Bremner, the club’s General Manager of Female Football, credits Madi’s work ethic, professionalism, and attitude as the driving force behind her ability to perform at her best across different aspects of her life.
“Madi is such a professional and sometimes I have to remind myself how young she still is,” Bremner said.
“She’s a natural leader and she elevates the people around her through her standards and work ethic. She understands that having that balance between training, studying, and working is really critical. She’s an impressive young woman and we’re proud to have her at our club.”
Madi will be looking to improve on what proved a career year in 2025 and is using the squad’s preseason training block as a launchpad for the rapidly approaching season.
“It’s been really good. I think this is my first preseason where I’ve made it a bit easier on myself with a massive training block beforehand,” she said.
“I’ve already learnt a lot, and I’ve been working with a lot of people to help get my diet, speed, strength and conditioning on track. I feel locked and loaded and ready to go. The body’s holding up really well and isn’t too sore yet which is nice.”
