Two-time Richmond Tigers premiership player joins the South Cairns Cutters

A former Richmond Tigers premiership star and Gold Coast Suns player is the latest recruitment coup for AFL Cairns as he joins the reigning premiers in 2025. FIND out how it came about here

Brandon Ellis of the Tigers celebrates with fans following the Round 20 AFL match between the Richmond Tigers and the Geelong Cats at the MCG in Melbourne, Friday, August 3, 2018. (AAP Image/Hamish Blair) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

The South Cairns Cutters premiership defence has gained a massive boost as they lock up a former Richmond Tigers premiership star.

The Cutters announced on Tuesday they had signed the two-time premiership player Brandon Ellis for the 2025 AFL Cairns season.

Cutters football operations manager John Tootell said the former Suns utility will be a welcome addition to the Cutters.

“It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours,” Tootell said.

“He’s close friends with (Cutters utility) Tom Fields and he just wants to play footy with a couple of his good mates.

Richmond Tigers premiership captain Trent Cotchin played in Cairns for the Port Douglas Crocs in 2024. Pic: Michael Klein

“It’d be great to have him on board. He’s obviously a very good footballer, very professional and he’s a lovely gentleman. So, it’d be great for the footy club and the competition.”

Ellis attended the AFL Cairns grand final at Cazalys Stadium between the Tigers and Cutters last season.

Former Cutters coach Daryn Cresswell selected Ellis to deliver a pre-game speech.

The Cutters would go on to break their 21-year premiership drought.

The former Tiger played 251 games across his 12 year AFL career, which included 176 games for the Tigers and 75 for the Gold Coast Suns.

The 31-year-old signed with the Suns during the free agency period in 2019, just weeks after he won his second premiership with the Tigers.

Along with the two premiership medals, Ellis was named in the 2014 All-Australian squad winning the Jack Titus Medal in the same season.

Brandon Ellis of the Suns is chaired off the field after playing his 250th game during the round two AFL match between Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast Suns at Mars Stadium, on March 24, 2024, in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

AFL Cairns football operations manager Brad Channon said it is massive for the competition.

“We’re always big on promoting the competition and it’s terrific to have someone of Brandon’s calibre in our league,” Channon said.

“It’s massive, he is a beautiful player, premiership player, it’s obviously huge for the Cutters as a team.

“But for the competition, it’ll drive more traffic through our streams and what we are trying to do up here.”

Ellis finished out his playing career at the Suns under coach Damien Hardwick, the man who led him for his time at the Tigers.

Ellis will join former AFL players playing in the Cairns competition such as Fields (Cutters), Aaron Davey (Cairns City Lions), Nick Salter (Port Douglas) and Jared Petrenko (Port Douglas) to name a few.

Over the off-season, South Cairns have re-signed captain Beau McKeown, leading goalkicker Damien Hill, powerhouse full-back Jermaine Wardle, Dwayne Bosen and Damien Dewis.

Following a number of departures from the premiership team, future stars Willis English, Deakin Lawson, Zane Tuckett, Thomas Hession, Cooper Wanders and Caleb Nissen will have an opportunity to crack into the senior side in 2025.

Cutters have also welcomed a number of new players under new coach Andrew Boston for the new campaign including Jordan Harrington (Lockhart Football Club), Jack Hammond (Labrador), Ryan Crisp (Noosa) and Jamie Coff (Eagles – SANFL), Tyson Whyte (Wanderers), Brock Johnston-Smith (Palm Beach Currumbin) and Christian Buykx-Smith (Bell Park).

Originally published as Two-time Richmond Tigers premiership player joins the South Cairns Cutters