Find out how your favourite footy club up in FNQ is set for the 2025 campaign
With the AFL Cairns season getting underway on Saturday, find out how each senior men’s team is shaping up for the long campaign ahead. Find out how your club is looking here.
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At long last the 2025 AFL Cairns season is set to get underway, and so it’s time to take a look at each senior men’s and women’s teams key players and their aspirations for the 2025 season.
South Cairns Cutters
The reigning premiers got a great deal richer with the signing of former Richmond and Gold Coast AFL player Brandon Ellis for the 2025 season.
They’ve also added Jordan Harrington (Lockhart FC), Jack Hammond (Labrador FC), Ryan Crisp (Noosa FC), Tyson Whyte (Wanderers FC), Brock Johnston-Smith (Palm Beach Currumbin FC), Christian Buykx-Smith, Jeremy Piercy (Wanderers FC) and Jay Foon (Labrador).
The Cutters were a formidable outfit throughout 2024, and while they lost premiership hero Alex Rogers to local rivals Manunda Hawks, expect them to remain as one of the teams to beat with a recruitment list brimming with talent to go along with their strong retention from 2024.
Key player: Brandon Ellis
Could it be anyone else? 250 games of AFL football and a pair of premierships with the Tigers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a recruit with better credentials in North Queensland Aussie rules.
North Cairns Tigers
Last year’s runners-up have picked up some nice additions, with the likes of Nathan Spry (Darwin FC), James Atkinson (Kilmore FC), Matthew White (Manunda Hawks AFC), Ngong Arou (Berwick FC), Mitchell Hurst (Centrals TB Bulldogs), Andrew Hutchinson (South Barwon FC) and David Stretton (Caramut FC).
They did lose a pair of key pieces in Rory Tarlinton (Aspley FC) and Daniel Jackson (Portland FNC), but expect the Tigers to continue pushing their case for a breakthrough premiership.
Key player: Alex Pulling
Strapped in for his second campaign with North Cairns, Pulling is expected to adopt a more “defined” role in 2025 as his squad looks to take that last step to a premiership.
Cairns City Lions
The preliminary finalists from 2024 picked up strongly last year after missing finals in 2023, and will be looking for some internal growth as they search for a premiership in 2025.
There hasn’t been a great deal of publicity on the recruitment front, but the Lions will surely remain a competitive side throughout.
Key player: Cain Murray
Joined the club midway through last season and has been earmarked as one to watch in 2025. With a full pre-season with the club under his belt except bigger and better things this time around.
Port Douglas Crocs
The Crocs are never a side that teams can afford to count out given their history, and with numerous notable recruits named for the 2025 season, expect the team from up north to stake a major case for premiership contention.
Former Adelaide Crows-listed recruit Tim McIntyre (Sturt FC) headlines the list of recruits, along with Jai Nanscawen (Rosebud FNC/Box Hill Hawks), Ryan McNamara (Somerville FNC), Jay Holden (Somerville FNC) and Murphy Short (Port Magpies).
Key player: Tim McIntyre
It’s hard to look past an ex-AFL footballer as being a critical piece to the puzzle for any local football team, despite the quality the Crocs already possess throughout their list.
Centrals TB Bulldogs
There was a sizeable gap between the top four and bottom three last season, with the fifth-placed Dogs finishing six games back of fourth-placed Cairns City.
But Centrals will be hoping they’ve closed that gap after picking up a strong crop of recruits for the 2025 campaign, most notably Liam Odea (Woori Yallock/Waratah) and Josh Butland (Frankston VFL).
John Pritchard (Panton Hill FC), Tyson Royal (Nirranda FC), Riley Gow (Barooga FC), Liam Munro (Ouyen United FC), Zedekai Copland (Winchelsea FC), Will Jolley (Warragul FC), Brodey Rudd (Cobram FC) and Baileigh Mills (Beaconsfield FC) will also join the squad for the season ahead.
Key player: Adam Manser
The focus for a lot of clubs has been on the recruits, but we think the Dogs will look internally first and foremost, and Manser was one of their consistent mentions in the best players honours throughout 2024.
Cairns Saints
The Saints struggled throughout the 2024 campaign, but their 2023 grand final appearance is not all that far from the memory.
They’ve picked up a pair of key returning players in Elia Ware (Tyntynder FNC), Oakley Wallace (Newtown Condingup) and Kunja Kamara, all of whom are familiar faces to the Cairns Aussie rules.
In addition, Hapeo Bobogi (Broadbeach) who has spent time in the QAFL reserves will be another fine addition to the squad, along with Mitch Musgrove (St Mary’s NTFL), Zac Straker (Morningside), Callan Sutcliffe (North Cairns) and Tyson Holman (Kingscote).
Key player: Zac Straker
Coming off a premiership in the QAFL with Morningside, Straker will bring the sort of premiership credentials needed for the Saints to see themselves climb up the ladder.
Manunda Hawks
The 2024 wooden spooners will have a point to prove this season, with just one win in the past two seasons, and Manunda has retained a significant portion of their list while adding some key signings.
The most notable is Alex Rogers, who makes the move across from South Cairns Cutters to take on a playing-assistant coach role, while they’ve also secured the services of Jak King (Cairns City Lions).
Key player: Troy Barbero
The Hawks’ skipper and three-time best and fairest winner is a hard man to look past as far as who will be setting the standard on and off the field in 2025.
Stay tuned as we break down the women’s teams on Friday.
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