MAROOCHYDORE
Key Recruits
Jake Warren
Jonty and Harry McIvor
Will O’Dwyer
Key Departures
Ty Gallop
Hudson Vivian
Young player to watch - Bailey Hahn
Expectations for the 2025 season - STEVE WILDSCHUT | Senior Coach
"To keep improving off the back of last season."
SUMMARY
Let's look at the biggest success that this club has enjoyed over the last couple of years - developing a future AFL star. Ty Gallop excelled and developed as one of the best young forwards in his draft year in 2024. His final game as a Roo was an eight-goal performance against eventual premiers Morningside, its last loss of the season. Ty kicked three goals in the last quarter to put his name in lights.
Jake Warren returns to the club after stints at Tatura and Lake Boga while Jonty McIvor makes the trip to the Sunshine Coast after more than 140 games in Tasmania. Jonty will look to fill some of the void left by Ty, and can find the goals.
Steve Wildschut is in his second season as coach. He gradually lifted the bar with this group of players during 2024 and is now ready to go that extra step and make the finals. The team has teased its supporters in recent seasons with some outstanding efforts against the best in the competition but then dropping games at the wrong time of the season to derail its momentum. The win against Morningside in Round 19 last year was a fine example of its potential but having started the season with consecutive big losses to the two teams that danced in the 2024 decider, they were behind the eight-ball from the start.
Expect the Roos to make finals….. that's almost a given, especially when the absolute core of the team has stayed together and are driven to return. This is a massive year for this group who need to (and are expected to!) deliver their best on a more consistent basis.
MORNINGSIDE
In what has been referred to as one of the great Grand Final wins of all-time in the QAFL Senior competition, Morningside is riding high and ready to take on all challengers in its quest for back-to-back premierships.
Ethan Knight joins the club from the Hamilton Kangaroos in the Hampden Football Netball League. He has aspirations to play at the highest level possible and the reigning premiers will be the perfect home to fuel those desires.
Peter Bourke has crossed the Pacific Ocean to play at the club that father Robert played for in the 1980s. The 20-year-old stands at a powerful 194cm and is hoping that his father’s natural genes for playing AFL and his quality experience in playing sport in North America will add some extra power and strength to this already commanding line-up.
After one-and-a-half seasons with Sydney in the AFL, Harrison Arnold returns to Queensland where he will predominantly play with Brisbane in the VFL. Arnold has nominated Morningside his club of choice and with some luck in fixturing, may get to represent the Panthers against his old club Broadbeach. Also the formidable pairing of Jack Rolls and Brock Aston return to Morningside after some very successful time spent with Redland Victoria Point.
The Panthers saw Jacob Lohmann depart the club in the off-season and has joined VFL reigning premiers Werribee. Damian Martin and Kyle Dunkley crossed to Coorparoo, and Zac Straker returned to North Queensland.
What this group produced in the past 12 months was professional and remarkable. Paul Egan and his coaching team set out to build a team that could compete hard physically and defensively, while also showcasing great fitness and energy that resulted in enormous scoreboard pressure.
The five-point win over the Sharks in the decider was nothing short of perfection. They controlled the game, forced the opposition to play more defensively and dig deep for a famous win. There is no reason why this group couldn’t defend its title in 2025 and stay on top of the QAFL mountain.
MT GRAVATT
Key Recruits
Noah Milton (Bendigo & EDFL),
Brady Rowles (Former Vic Country Rep Player, Bendigo, Former #4 Rookie Draft Sydney Swans)
Jared Greenhill (Former Bendigo TAC Cup)
Josh, Jack and Lachlan James from Sherwood
Josh Smart (Redland-Victoria Point, former Vulture Junior)
Jake and Cody Harrison (Redland-Victoria Point, former Juniors)
Gabe Robbie (former NEAFL, 150 Games Sydney University)
Max Hoffmann (Cairns Senior League Rookie of the Year 2024)
Lachy Lovell, Lincoln Edgar (North Queensland)
Josh Liddington & Ryan Hodgson (South Toowoomba)
Key Departures
Tom Hurst, Ben Jefferies, Matt Hardess, Jack Baker - Park Ridge
Charlie Corrigan, Isaac Solomon, Seth Coombs - Coorparoo
Young players to watch
Kaeden Corboy
Josh Liddington
Max Hoffman (Colts)
Lachy Taylor (Colts)
Expectations for the 2025 season - HAMISH MITCHELL | Senior Coach
“To be more competitive with a stronger bodied playing group in 2025. We have no illusions about where we are at, and that we are starting from a long way back.
We have seen some promising signs in our early pre-season, that has us entering the season with some optimism around better performances and rising back up the ladder a few spots in 2025.
We have created a great culture at the club, the playing group, coaches, supporters and committee have worked really hard on developing a place of benefit and enjoyment.
I am really pleased to see so many new sponsors and players signing on to help build the club, whereas normally when a club goes into a recession of sorts, the likes of what the club experienced last year, then perhaps we would normally see a larger exodus of players, supporters and sponsors than retention. So, it is pleasing to enter 2025 in a stronger position than 2024 on and off the field."
SUMMARY
After the harrowing player exodus of 2023, the Vultures were starting on the back foot in 2024 with a change in coach and almost a brand new player list. The key success it set out to achieve was to be competitive and create a greater environment to build a better team in 2025 - this has all been achieved.
A new team of talent has arrived at the club and that’s a testament to the drawing-power that the club has in its quest to create something special; and that it will.
As a neutral, Mt Gravatt is going to draw a lot more eyeballs than usual out of interest and intrigue in the on-field success, which will be a blip on the radar in comparison to the tremendous off-field success.
The Vultures “almost” enjoyed its first win of the season in the final round of the home and away season last year, a performance that will be a perfect launching pad into 2025.
NOOSA
The Noosa Tigers will set itself for a return into the QAFL finals picture in 2025. Jono Freeman will lead the team as captain and he will have the support of a stellar leadership team featuring Rhys Free, Mav Pettigrove, Mitch Conn and Nathan Horbury.
Matt Gaul joins the Tigers after crossing from Maribyrnong Park in the Essendon District competition. A strong midfielder and handy ball magnet, he arrives on the back of captaining Marby Park to a premiership in 2024 and was judged captain of the year for the competition. He has also spent time with Williamstown in the VFL.
Matt isn't the only VFL flavour joining the Tigers this year as former Geelong VFL captain Angus Byrne also adds to the list. A natural leader, Angus is a powerful and athletic player who has a tremendous sense around goals and has a strong defensive element to his game.
To recruit these two talented leaders from Victoria is a true testament to what this club is building.
Matt Leuenberger will resume his role as coach of the club with a lot of quality talent to work with – the greater challenge is keeping the list fit, healthy and available so an added level of consistency can be recognised.
Noosa finished with just three wins last year but did challenge the likes of Morningside & Palm Beach Currumbin when playing at their best.
The club has been one of the surprise packets of the competition since joining the competition in 2021. It hasn't hit its full potential just yet but has the cattle on the park to produce something special and challenge in the bottom half of the top eight.