Brisbane-born Dougall spent four years with the Roar, joining the club from the Queensland Academy of Sport as a 16-year-old in 2009.
He impressed in the club’s youth team, winning the young player of the year award in 2010 along with Matt Acton.
But with his first-team opportunities limited, as the Roar collected a realm of trophies and created A-League history, he left for a season with Brisbane City in the Queensland NPL before heading overseas to join Dutch club Telstra.
After four years in Holland the 25-year-old linked with English side Barnsley in August and is now on the brink of his first Socceroos cap.
Dougall admits his formative years at Suncorp Stadium, where he trained alongside the likes of Thomas Broich and Besart Berisha, and was under the guidance of Postecoglou, had a big impact on his career.
“The team at the time was a crazy team,” Dougall told The World Game.
“They set records, longest undefeated streaks, so you can’t really complain when you’re not playing. I learned a lot training and playing with the guys.
“You train with them, you pick up things that the top guys do and that’s what I tried to do and maybe I picked up a few things. Since I left Australia I haven’t seen a lot of the A-League, because of the time difference and when they play.
“But from my opinion it was the best team in the A-League’s history, in terms of stats, they won things, their style of football. Being in that environment, in a winning mentality, a winning environment, it was a great place to learn.”
Dougall was one of the 31 players called up by Graham Arnold to his Socceroos training camp in Turkey last month. It was his first experience of the senior national team after previously playing for the Olyroos.
“To get a call-up for your national team it was a great feeling,” he said.
“It’s nice to know that they’re looking and I think I did quite well in the camp. It makes when want to get back in there and do everything I can to stay in there.
“I had a few personal chats with him [Arnold], that’s going to stay there but he was quite positive about everything going forward. That was my first interaction with him.
“The whole camp I was impressed with, the whole backroom staff were first class and the training sessions were great. I was a new face there and obviously I met a lot of new people. The standard is quite high.
“I feel like if I stay there it’s good for my development as well.”
With the Asian Cup only four months away Dougall is out to break into the Australian set-up. He believes the Socceroos can successfully retain the trophy they won in 2015.
“Defending any title is different because everyone wants to knock you,” the midfielder said.
“Australia, we have the players, the mentality, the ability to defend that title. Obviously it’s difficult playing in some of these Asian countries, the tournament is in the UAE, which comes with the weather and other things that you might not have control of.
“But it’s all football, so if the players are good enough we’ll win there.”
Dougall has been a constant figure for Barnsley this season, missing just one game. The Tykes sit in fifth place in League One with only one loss from their first nine matches.
The tall midfielder is in the unique position where he is eligible to represent three countries on the international stage – Australia, Scotland because of his father and Thailand because of his mother.
But he reveals his heart has always been with the green and gold.
“That’s right I could play for all of them,” Dougall said.
“I haven’t had any approaches – I’m not sure they know about me. But for me it was always Australia, I was born and raised there. That’s it.
“The federations want the best players, the most players. If they want to call me up they can call me, but for me it’s always Australia.”
