Sports Physician - Co-Medical Director Qsportsmedicine
Richard is a Sports Physician specialising in sports, musculoskeletal and exercise medicine. He graduated from medicine at the University of NSW in 1996 and following further study became a fully qualified GP in 2001. In 2005 he completed his fellowship with the Australasian College of Sports Physicians. He received the award for the most outstanding candidate in 2004.
Richard is trained in the management of all sporting injuries with a personal interest in the football codes (Soccer, AFL, Rugby Union and Rugby League), Basketball and the Performing Arts. He is currently consultant to the New Zealand Warriors rugby league team. He has completed research in Aprotinin for the management of tendon injuries and this is one of Richard's interest fields.
Sports Physician - Co-Medical Director Qsportsmedicine
Mark qualified in London in 1984. He spent 7 years in rural general practice in Alice Springs, before undertaking his specialist fellowship training for the Australasian College of Sports Physicians and Exercise Medicine (ACSEP) at the AIS in Canberra.
Mark is an experienced Medicare recognised specialist in sports, complex musculoskeletal and exercise medicine. Mark is further sub-specialised in non-operative spinal conditions and is skilled in CT guided spinal injections. Mark receives spinal referrals from GPs, spinal/neurosurgeons, pain management specialists and physiotherapists.
Mark is also an expert in diagnosing and treating complex non-operative musculoskeletal conditions such as pelvic, hip and shoulder pain. He is trained in interventional ultrasound guided interventions, to complement the management of most musculoskeletal pathologies.
Current and Past Appointments:
International Appointments
Chief Medical Officer: ICC T20 Women's Cricket World Cup, Australia 2020
National Appointments
Chief Medical Officer: Diving Australia 2000 - 2022
Chief Medical Officer: Triathlon Australia 2008 - 2016
Chief Medical Officer: Softball Australia 2000 - 2010
Chief Medical Officer: National Cricket Centre (Brisbane) 2014 - 2020
Team Doctor (P/T): Australian Mens and Women's Cricket 2016 - 2022
Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee, Canberra: 2014 - 2023
State/Local Appointments
Chief Medical Officer: Queensland Cricket 2014 - 2023
Chief Medical Officer: Queensland Reds RU 2003 - 2005
Team Doctor: Brisbane Roar (soccer) 2004 - 2008, 2011 - 2013, & 2015 - 2016
Team Doctor: Brisbane Bullets (basketball) 2006 - 2010
Team Doctor: Queensland Firebirds (netball) 2000 - 2004
Queensland Academy of Sport: SMO to multiple squads, 2000 - 2010
ACSEP: State Training Coordinator (Qld and NT) 2000 - 2010
ACSEP: Clinical Training Supervisor 2000 - current
Academic Appointments
Senior Honorary Research Fellow - Stem Cells Laboratory - Mater Medical Research Institute 2011- 2014
Honorary Research fellow - Department of Stem Cells - Translational Research Institute and RBWH 2015 - 2017
Academic Appointment: Senior Lecturer, UQ School of Clinical Medicine 2024 - current
Clinic Appointments
Spineplus (Dr Paul Licina) - (non-operative) Spinal Medicine Specialist 2006 - 2011 and 2013 - 2015
Qsportsmedicine: 2010 - current (Co-Director)
Qspine: 2023 - current (Director)
Pars and Adolescent Spine Clinic: 2024 - current (Co-Director)
Sports Physician
Dr Smith graduated from the University of Nottingham in the UK, before completing his initial two post-graduate years working in the NHS. He moved to Australia in 2014 for Sports Medicine training and has been based in Queensland ever since.
Dr Smith is actively involved in education and research. He is currently undertaking two research projects into pars stress injuries and has previously published research papers on the prescription of exercise for patients following cardiac events, as well as the effects of pars defects on professional cricketers. He has undertaken multiple further training courses in the use of clinical ultrasound and point of care of ultrasound.
Current Appointments:
- Queensland Cricket State Medical Officer - Queensland Bulls, Queensland Fire and the Brisbane Heat.
- Medical Director - National Cricket Centre, Brisbane.
- Chief Medical Officer - Queensland Academy of Sport Swimming (Brisbane Hub) and Rowing Programs
- Chief Medical Officer - Queensland Firebirds and Netball Queensland
Past Appointments:
- Brisbane Roar A-League Chief Medical Officer 2020-2022
- Australia U17 and U20s Soccer Team Doctor 2019-2022
- Queensland State of Origin – Assistant Doctor 2017-2019
- Gold Coast Titans - Team Doctor 2018-2020
- Queensland Reds Academy Doctor – 2019-2020
- The Wallabies – Concussion and Head Injury Assessment Doctor 2017-present
- Indigenous All-Stars Women’s Rugby League Team - 2019
- Brisbane Bullets Basketball – Team Doctor 2016-2018
- Brisbane International Tennis Tournament – Assistant Doctor 2017
Dr Smith enjoys helping anyone to rid themselves of their musculoskeletal problems, from athletes to those who don’t regularly exercise, regardless of age. He specialises in the management of low back, shoulder and hip and groin pain as well as overuse injuries and commonly sees runners and cross-fit athletes.
He is looking forward to helping you on your way to recovery today.
Sports Medicine Registrars
Anna is a Sport & Exercise Medicine Registrar on the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) Specialist Training Program. Dr Topping graduated from the University of Sydney in 2011 and gained experience in Emergency and Orthopeadics before beginning her fellowship in Sports and Exercise Medicine. She has trained at Westmead Children’s Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine and the Australian Institute of Sport and has now returned to her home base in Brisbane.
Dr Topping has experience working with all levels of football, rugby union and league including feeder teams for the Manly sea eagles and the team doctor for NRLW bulldogs. Dr Topping was the CMO for the Warriors NRL in 2022. She has enjoyed team travelling with rowing Australia and most recently providing travel medical care for Para archery Australia accompanying them to their world competitions leading up to the 2024 para-Olympic games. In addition, Dr Topping continues to provide support for motorcross Australia.
She has an interest in all aspects of sports and exercise medicine and enjoys helping you with your journey to recovery from musculoskeletal issues.
Dougal is a senior Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar commencing at to QSports in 2025.
Dougal grew up in Tasmania before moving to Perth where he completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy. He completed his medical degree in Brisbane before moving to Cairns to continue his training, predominantly in Orthopaedics where he worked as an Orthopaedic Registrar. Dougal started his specialty training whilst in Cairns under the supervision of Dr Kira James (FACSEP) in private practice as well as in Australia's first public hospital Sport and Exercise Medicine clinic.
Dougal has furthered his education by completing a Masters in Trauma (Orthopaedics) through the University of Newcastle, and a Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine through the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In 2025 he has been accepted as a Diplomate member of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine in the UK.
Dougal has experience in a wide variety of elite sports and has worked as the team doctor for the Australian Mens/Women Hockey 5s, Cairns Taipans (NBL), Northern Pride (QRL), North Cairns AFL as well as the medical lead for endurance events including the IRONMAN Cairns, The Ultra50 Marathon, The Great Pyramid Race and the Reef to Reef Mountain Bike Race. He will be working with the Redcliffe Dolphins QRL club in 2025.
He has played representative hockey and cricket for Tasmania and has a passion for a wide variety of sports with his sporting highlight being part of Tasmania’s first gold medal winning team in the Australian Hockey League in 2014.
He has an interest in all aspects of sport and exercise medicine, especially acute traumatic injuries, complex knee, ankle and foot injuries, bone stress injuries and degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis.
Current Appointments:
- Club Doctor – Redcliffe Dolphins QRL (2025 - present)
Career Highlights & Past Affiliations:
- Team Doctor – North Cairns AFL (2024)
- Team Doctor – Northern Pride QRL (2022 – 2024)
- Team Doctor – Hockey Australia, Hockey 5s World Cup, Oman (2024)
- Medical Lead – Cairns IRONMAN (2024)
- Medical Lead – Reef to Reef Mountain Bike (2023)
- Medical Lead – Green Island Open Swim (2023)
- Medical Lead – Confraternity Cup, Rugby League (2022-present)
- Medical Officer – Cairns Ultramarathon (2022)
- Medical Officer – Cairns IRONMAN (2022-2023)
- Match Day Medical Officer – Cairns Taipans NBL (2021-2022)
- Match Day Medial Officer – Queensland Cricket (2024)
Sport and Exercise Medicine Registrar - Starting on 3rd February 2025