Bernie MacDonald has been a teacher at St John's College Woodlawn for more than forty years, having also completed his own high school education as a boarder at the school. On the sporting field, MacDonald played for Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, was a key member of the successful Marist Brothers Rugby League Club during the 1980s and he was a competent First Grade cricketer with Lismore Workers Cricket Club and has played cricket at various levels for more than 50 years. MacDonald also is a director of Lismore Workers (Licensed) Club.

Bernie MacDonald was born in Bowraville (which according to State of Origin qualification “that’s in Queensland”). A stellar rugby league career started as an eight year old lad who wanted to emulate his dad Noel, who was himself a handy second rower in the Group 2 competition. Bernie was a tall child and he actually played in the forwards for many years, including front row, where he was a skilful player who possessed great game sense and he would become a prolific goal kicker.

Despite attending boarding school at St John's College Woodlawn from 1970 to 1975, MacDonald played rugby league for Macksville when returning home for school holidays. One such trip saw him play in a winning Under 18 Grand Final and in a lead up game, the “toe-poker” goal kicker landed an extraordinary 13 goals from 14 attempts in a personal haul of 41 points. The talented young forward was spotted by a footy scout and a trial was duly arranged with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, which aligned well with MacDonald’s move to Sydney post-graduation from high school to study at the Australian College of Physical Education at Croydon. A trial with the “former Berries” in 1976 saw the country player competing in a Reserve Grade trial with the likes of Mark and Gary Hughes, as well as George Peponis and Peter Mortimer. Tough competition indeed and with a 13 player import rule in place, MacDonald did not make the squad immediately.

MacDonald’s efforts were however enough to earn a scholarship from Canterbury-Bankstown, that paid for him to attend College. While playing in the Canterbury Bankstown district competition, MacDonald also played in the 1976 winning Canterbury-Bankstown President’s Cup side that defeated Parramatta at Pratten Park, Ashfield. Few players could earn a living from playing football, with match payments for wins a common reimbursement and MacDonald played for Bankstown Sports in 1976 and 1977, before progressing to play in the Under 23 Canterbury team in 1978. MacDonald played plenty of Reserve Grade and got his first start as a centre in 1979 as well as playing in a Amco Cup match and remembers playing against a young Wayne Pearce who would become a Balmain Tigers Legend and the rising star halfback Peter Sterling in a Grand Final loss against Parramatta. MacDonald was a regular on the bench in 1979 for First Grade as the Ted Glossop coached Bulldogs made it to the Grand Final only to be beaten by St George.

Fate would see MacDonald return to this region in 1980, when he secured a teaching position at his former school St John's College Woodlawn. Offers would continue to be received for MacDonald to pursue a league career in Sydney, but choosing the security of a job over the uncertainty and meagre potential income available from a football career meant that the Northern Rivers would become home for Bernie, Cathy and over time, children Kristine, Belinda, Anthony and Alyson. The intended focus in 1980 was to teach at Woodlawn and not play league locally. This was until MacDonald met fellow Woodlawn College teachers, former Deputy Principal Kim Evans and the late Bob Delaney, who at that time were playing for Ballina. If it had not been for the treacherous, windy road between Lismore and Ballina in those years, MacDonald may have been convinced to play for the Seagulls. A curious look at a Marist Brothers game one Sunday afternoon and a subsequent meeting with a few Brothers identities, saw MacDonald lured to Brothers, where he would forge a wonderful local league career.

Marist Brothers had previously won a Group One premiership in 1966 and were runners up in 1973, but season 1980 would see the start of a golden period for the Brethren and MacDonald was a key player as he became part of four premiership victories, in 1980-81, 1986 and perhaps the pinnacle of that decade in 1987 when a mighty Marist Brothers side went through undefeated and won the much coveted Clayton Cup, which is awarded to the best rugby league team in Country NSW each season.

Between the four grand final victories were grand finals in 1982-85-86 and 1988. MacDonald speaks in glowing terms about respective coaches Greg Jones and Denis Meaney, who guided Brothers into a new era that has seen the club set new benchmarks for local rugby league from that time and beyond into the following decades with Michael Woods from the 90s writing his own impeccable history that was borne from the seeds set back in 1980. Being named Group 1 Player of the Year in 1981, when he broke the Group record for most points scored by one player, is but one of MacDonald's many league highlights.

MacDonald scored more than 100 tries during his local career and he was a prodigious goal kicker who would set the ball on a mound of sand before piloting it between the sticks from almost any position in the opposition half. MacDonald was selected in 1981 to play for Group 1 (coached by Greg Fryer) and that season he was picked for the Country train on squad. In 1987. MacDonald was part of the Northern Rivers team (captained by Graeme O’Grady and coached by Greg Fryer) that won the Country Championship. As one would expect, MacDonald also waxes lyrical about a host of players that he has played with and against - Danny Lee, Terry Dardengo, Tony Durheim and Steve Donnelly get a mention from MacDonald, but I sense that the late Gary Sampson was a favourite and much admired team-mate. Described by MacDonald as being mercurial, tough as teak, a smart ball player and just a complete footballer, Sampson sadly passed away this year and is fondly remembered by his mates as being a terrific player and a conversation with MacDonald about Sampson and other team-mates typified the close bond that footy and sport brings.

Retirement from league in 1989, as child number four arrived, found MacDonald take up the whistle as a referee for one season and he continues his involvement with league by being part of the NRRRL Judiciary for the past five years. MacDonald was recognised with Life Membership of Group 1 Junior Rugby League in the late 90’s and his casual 15 years as club president of Lismore Workers Cricket Club saw him awarded Life Membership with that organisation in 2009. MacDonald is also a director of the Lismore Workers (Licensed) Club and he continues to get his sporting fix by playing cricket with the “Emerging Greys” where the mention of names like local cricket legends including Roger Boyd and Graham Rose tells me that MacDonald’s competitiveness remains vibrant. Has scored two centuries in his cricket career, one in 1973 and the second 45 years later in 2018.

The story of Bernie MacDonald is much more than the focus that I have put here around rugby league, but that is how I have known this local sporting champion. Beyond talking sport, the glint in Bernie’s eye is sharpest when talking about his wife Cathy, his four adult children and his four grandchildren. Noah who is now in Year 7 and and Charlotte who is in Year 8, both at .… you guessed it …. Woodlawn and MacDonald clearly delights in seeing the kids daily! Youngest grandchildren, two-year-old Bailey and three-year-old Hunter, may be too young to get to high school before Bernie clocks up a fifty year association with Woodlawn (six as a student and now 41 as a teacher) but there is no doubt that they will one day revere the extraordinary legacy that their grandfather has made to local rugby league, to Woodlawn and as a person who I suggest that we can herald as a champion of our community.

Sport brings us so many stories that inspire and help illustrate how there are many individuals who walk amongst us every day who have and continue to make a positive contribution to our collective identity. Bernie MacDonald is one such person and I say thanks Bernie for sharing your commitment, your skills, your energies and for a story that I believe is worth telling.