AFL Cairns Recruitment Tracker: All the ins and out in the off-season
The clubs of AFL Cairns have been busily recruiting for 2025 season, with a stack of key signings landing in the Far North. Take a look at the guns to watch next season >>>
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Rory Tarlinton is the newest name to join Aspley Hornets for the 2025 QAFL season following a dominant few seasons for the Eastern Swans (Mackay) and Norths Cairns Tigers.
The 24-year-old lifted the Tigers to a grand final performance in 2024 where he booted two goals and was named among the best players despite the narrow loss to premiers South Cairns Cutters.
The versatile key-position player, known as ‘Two storey Rory’, played just about every position in 2024, earning selection in the team of the season and picking up North Queensland representative honours.
“I’m just looking for a bit of a step up and a change of scenery,” Tarlinton said.
“There were some other clubs I was having a look at but I got in touch with Aspley who are obviously an established club with an established system.
“I’ll be down in the next couple of weeks so I’m excited to get started and hopefully play some good footy.”
Former Tigers coach Sam Hughes experimented with Tarlinton in the forward line to kickstart the 2024 season where he booted a season-high four goals (16 for the season) against Crocs in round two.
He was shifted into the ruck later in the year, starting at centre bounces before pushing behind the ball as an extra key defender.
Playing his best footy as an intercept defender, he had a day out in the upset victory over the Cutters in round 10 with 23 disposals, 10 marks (six intercept) and four spoils.
Tarlinton will be a huge hole to fill in the Tigers side under new coach Daniel Holroyd, with the 2025 season fast approaching.
Half back Leo Connolly has been also picked up by Aspley. He played seven AFL games for St Kilda and has VFL experience with the Casey Demons and Sandringham Dragons, where he won the 2022 club best and fairest.
18-year-old Charlie Hewitt has also joined the club. He’s a strong mark who can impact the scoreboard and has featured for the Lions academy.
Is returning from injury and trained with the club at the back-end of the 2024 season.
Outside midfielder James Webb, who has represented Tasmania against Queensland, is set to make the move north to Aspley ahead 0f 2025.
Port Douglas young gun picked for Suns Academy
Port Douglas prospect Brae Agrums has been selected for the Gold Coast Suns’ under-18 Academy squad.
Following an intense six-week pre-season training camp at the Gold Coast, 50 players were narrowed down to a final squad of 35.
The 16-year-old will relocate to the Gold Coast in January as a bottom-ager for the Suns side while developing his game with QAFL Colts (under-19) side Labrador Tigers.
Having risen through the junior ranks at Port Douglas Crocs as a dominant ruckman, Agrums made the transition to a key defender during the 2024 campaign.
Under-sized as a ruck at AFL level, Suns Academy coaches believed his best football lay as a physically imposing fullback, locking down rivals’ best key forward.
Agrums is strong in the air, agile for his size and a fierce competitor.
The 194cm gun broke into the Crocs’ senior side this year, playing nine games, with strong performances in rounds 15 and 16 against the Cairns City Lions and North Cairns Tigers. Agrums will join former Cairns Saint Cooper Glass at Labrador Tigers, who will play for the Suns’ Academy under-16 side in 2025.
Another former Saints midfielder, Will Derrington, spent the 2024 season with the Tigers, along with the Southport Sharks at VFL level.
Cairns duo chasing AFL dream
Rising stars Lachlan Lovell and Max Hoffman are set to make a significant leap in their AFL careers as they relocate to Brisbane to join the Mt Gravatt Vultures for the 2025 Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL) season.
The 18-year-olds, who have both impressed in the AFL Cairns competition in 2024, will bring their talents to South Queensland in January and look to make their mark at a more professional level.
Lovell said he was excited about the opportunity to develop further under Mt Gravatt’s head coach Hamish “Hammer” Mitchell.
“I’ve already received a lot of support from the club, even though I’m still in Cairns,” Lovell said.
“Max and I were a bit of a dynamic duo in juniors together. I would be lacing it out to him in the forward line and we would complement each other really well. We’re a bit of a package deal.”
Vultures coach Mitchell previously worked with the Gold Coast Suns Academy as a coach, with Lovell and Hoffman both previously part of the Suns Academy.
Lovell said the move would provide more of an opportunity to potentially crack into the Gold Coast Suns or Brisbane Lions VFL sides.
Lovell, a versatile and fast footballer, made his senior debut in 2022 with the Cairns City Lions after joining the club at12. He quickly rose to prominence, winning the 2022 under-16 league best-and-fairest medal and the 2023 Reg Lillywhite Medal for the under-17.5 competition.
Known for his lightning pace, Lovell made the move to Manunda Hawks in 2024 in search of more game time, playing 15 senior matches across the 2024 campaign.
Hoffman, who has been a key player for the Cairns City Lions in 2024, also made a big impact this season with 16 games and10 goals in the senior competition.
Having played across various positions, he had a standout performance as the sole ruck against the Tigers in round 11, finishing with two goals and a game-high 26 hit-outs.
Both players were selected for the Cairns under-18 representative side against the NTFL under-18 team, playing in the lead-up to the AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne at TIO Stadium in May this year.
Known for his emphasis on developing both players and people, the pair’s new coach Mitchell will welcome the arrival of Lovelland Hoffman at Mt Gravatt, a club that finished at the bottom of the QAFL ladder last season but is aiming for a bright future.
SA stars bolster Crocs
Port Douglas has secured the signatures of a SANFL star and a former Adelaide Crow as the club reloads for 2025.
The Crocs have added gun midfielder Murphy Short, who arrives from the Port Adelaide Magpies after two seasons. Short recently finished seventh in the club’s best and fairest, ahead of contracted AFL players, despite playing only 12 games.
The 25-year-old heads north after boasting an impressive resume as a two-time Yorke Peninsula Medallist, while also representing the state against WA earlier this year.
“He was a bit of a long shot, but we thought we’d ask the question and see what he wanted to do,” Crocs coach Nick Salter said.
“Through our connection with the SANFL and Port Adelaide, we reached out. We knew he was a really strong footballer in the SANFL. He wanted a lifestyle change — he’s a country boy, pretty laid-back — but he’s super fit, a hard runner, very competitive, and he’ll bring a level of professionalism and hardness to the midfield.”
The Crocs will also welcome former Adelaide Crows rookie Tim McIntyre to the side. McIntyre played one AFL game for the Crows in 2012 after being recruited from Sturt (SANFL) in 2011.
The strong-marking midfielder-forward debuted with two goals in the Showdown against the Power, but it was his only AFL appearance, as McIntyre was delisted at the end of the season.
The pair will bolster a lethal midfield brigade, which includes premiership ball magnets Sam Fairclough, joint 2024 club best and fairest winners Liam Brandt and Brett McKeown, along with captain Ben McPhee.
“Liam (Brandt), Brett (McKeown), Sam (Fairclough), and Ben (McPhee) are all super competitive individuals,” Salter said.
“With a few more midfielders coming in, they’re just going to have to battle it out. Whoever doesn’t perform won’t be in the midfield. It’s great for competition, and (Fairclough in particular), who missed a fair bit of footy last year, is ready to go and is almost like a new recruit for us.”
The Crocs will also welcome back 2023 premiership player Jacob Zboril, with the former Saint joining new recruits Ryan McNamara and half-back Jay Holden on the 2025 squad.
The side, which was eliminated in the opening week of finals by the Cairns City Lions, is on the hunt for a mobile key forward, with experienced key forwards Nick Salter and Lee Staple unlikely to feature predominantly next season.
‘Zac’s back’: Saints reignite attack with return of lethal goalkicker
The Cairns Saints have announced lethal goalkicker Zac Straker will return to the club for the 2025 season.
The experienced forward makes his way back to the Far North after a successful stint with the Morningside Panthers in the QAFL.
Straker played a key role in helping the Panthers secure their eleventh premiership, contributing to a thrilling five-point victory over Redland Victoria Point in the 2024 QAFL grand final.
Straker, 25, had a sensational 2022 campaign for the Saints booting 76 goals from 17 games before backing it up in 2023 kicking 44 goals from 19 games (fifth in the competition), forming a formidable three-pronged attack alongside Cade Wellington and Adam Gross.
The former Sandringham Dragon joins 2021 best and fairest winner Kunja Kamara in returning to the Saints under first-year senior coach Chris Novy.
Kamara, a dynamic rebounder in defence, was another key figure during the Saints’ strong tenure under former player-coach Wes Glass, which included three grand final appearances and a preliminary final in five seasons.
In addition, the Saints have announced that former North Cairns Tiger Callan Sutcliffe and half-forward Tyson Holman will don the red, white, and black for the upcoming season.
The marquee signing of Straker is expected to significantly strengthen the Saints’ forward line, while his partner and two-time AFLW Cairns premiership player Kaitlin Pohlne will also be a welcome addition to the women’s senior side.
Hawks sign Tea Tree Gully giant
Manunda Hawks have strengthened their ruck stocks, recruiting a 203cm (6ft 7in) big man from Tea Tree Gully in South Australia.
Tom Norbury flew into the Tropical Far North in September and confirmed he was the Hawks first recruit heading into the 2025 season.
Norbury, 24, said it was a decision that was easy to make.
“I have a mate who plays for the Hawks up here and he reached out to me and asked,” Norbury said.
“I spoke to my partner about it and we figured we didn’t have a lot to lose, so jumped on a plane and here we are.
“I am pretty excited to play here, it is such an incredible place, the views, mountains and everything is pretty close as well.
“I can see why so many people do come and play footy here, a lot different to what Adelaide is like for sure.”
The Hawks latest recruit comes to the nest with a 2024 premiership under his belt with his former club Ingle Farm.
Norbury was a former soccer player growing up before making the transition to AFL.
“A couple of my mates said I should come out and try and the rest is history,” Norbury said.
“My main focus is to keep working on the fundamentals and getting better so we as a club can get better as well.
“I haven’t heard too much about the club but what I have heard and witnessed is these boys seem like a great bunch of blokes.”
Vice-captain Josh Welsford and returning gun Mugzy Mooka both have signed on for 2025.
Welsford said he believes the club is heading in the right direction.
“We had our first win this season and I know there are plenty more just around the corner,” Welsford said.
“We are building as a club, the boys get around each other, the girls get around each other.
“It is a great place to be and that has always been our focus is to be a club where players want to come to.
“I love playing here and learning under T-bird (Troy Barbero) has helped my game and that is the plan to continue to grow it.”
Mooka returns to the club after a year and a half off after a serious knee injury in round 3 2023.
“The knee is going well, I wanted to get out there this year and play a few games but we decided not to risk it,” Mooka said.
“Watching the boys get their first win for a couple of seasons was pretty awesome to watch.
“Looking forward to helping them get another few wins next season and helping this club to continue to develop.”
Originally published as AFL Cairns Recruitment Tracker: All the ins and out in the off-season
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