Football Staff Profiles
Adrian Thomson – Football Operations Manager
Adrian brings extensive experience to the position of Football Operations Manager having been involved in the game of rugby league for three decades, not only has he won three QRL State Championships with the Northern Marlins but he has also coached Townsville Brothers to five premierships in the Townsville and Districts Rugby League competition.
“Happy” began working with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys as the recruitment manager, he was promoted to a coaching role as one of three coaching assistants to Head Coach Paul Green for the 2014 season.
At the Cowboys, Thomson was tasked with working closely with NRL squad members who were playing in the Intrust Super Cup and this experience will serve him well as the Townsville & Districts Mendi Blackhawks begin recruitment for the inaugural squad. Further bolstering Thomson’s knowledge of player selections and talent in the Queensland region he has served as a Selector for the Queensland Rangers, Queensland Country & Queensland Resident teams; as well as Queensland State of Origin Under 20s and the Australian Junior Kangaroos.
Terry Campese – Head Coach
Terry Campese is Head Coach of the Mendi Blackhawks. Terry spent 12 years playing for the Canberra Raiders including 5 years as Captain. During these years he also represented NSW and Australia. After the Raiders Terry spent 2 years in England playing for Hull Kingston Rovers also as Captain.
Since retiring from professional Rugby League in 2017 he has coached the Queanbeyan Blues, Monaro Colts and Senior Men’s Country NSW teams. 2026 will be Campese’ s third year as head coach of the Mendi Blackhawks, just missing out on a top 8 finish in 2024 and securing a top 4 spot in 2025 of the Hostplus Cup.
Terry is passionate about helping young people achieve their dreams and is looking forward to a big season in 2026 for the Mendi Blackhawks.
Scott Evans – Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
Scott Evans holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) from James Cook University and a Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy from La Trobe University. In addition, he is a Level 2 ASCA Strength and Conditioning Coach, combining advanced clinical expertise with performance-focused training principles.
Originally from Kingaroy, QLD, he’s dedicated his career to rugby league — blending his passion for the game with a commitment to helping athletes perform at their best and recover stronger.
Scott has worked with the Mendi Blackhawks in the junior grades and looks forward to sharing his experience with our Hostplus Cup team and other S&C coaches.
James Tamou – Community Engagement
As a former professional Rugby Leagues player James hopes to bring a wealth of experience, showcasing leadership and motivational abilities to the Mendi Blackhawks. With a career that spanned over 15 years in the NRL, James has achieved some highly notable milestones that he will continue to use to embody the values of discipline, teamwork and adaptability he has learned over the years with the current players.
Off the field, James’ passion is helping in community based work with youth, leveraging the skills he has obtained from the world of sports. A goal in this field for James is also to continue pushing boundaries and helping others to reach their full potentials on and off the field.
Jaelen Feeney – Pathways & Recruitment Manager
Jaelen Feeney is a former Townsville Mendi Blackhawks player who made 74 appearances in the black and green. Before joining the Blackhawks, Jaelen spent five years with the Newcastle Knights, where he was part of a NSW Cup Premiership-winning side. He made his NRL debut for the Knights in 2016 and played 26 games across the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
During his time with the Blackhawks, Jaelen was recognized for his outstanding performances, being named “Back of the Year” in both 2018 and 2020. In 2018, he also received the Councillor Cook Community Award, a testament to his deep commitment to community involvement.
“Working in the community is something that I have always been passionate about,” Jaelen says. “I love working with kids, and I continue to stay involved as a Residential Youth Worker under the Child Safety banner outside of football.”
Following his retirement from rugby league in 2024, Jaelen transitioned into a key leadership role with the Townsville Mendi Blackhawks as the Pathways and Recruitment Manager. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating and overseeing all junior development programs, including our Harvey Norman Under 17s and 19s, as well as the Cyril Connell Challenge (CCC) and Mal Meninga Cup (MMC) competitions.
Jaelen also manages the RISE program, and plays a crucial role in scouting and recruiting emerging talent from the Townsville & District Rugby League (TDRL) competitions to join the Blackhawks representative teams.
