We chat to Kane Cawse on his new role at the Queanbeyan Tigers
Kane Cawse was just seven when he first pulled on a Queanbeyan Tigers guernsey – sparking the beginning of a decades-long love affair.
This year Cawse, who played AFL for the Tigers across many grades for more than 20 years, steps into the coveted role of Football Operations Manager and coach of the men’s Reserve grade team. He’ll manage “the day-to-day running of six senior teams”, taking over from Adrian Pavese, who’s headed to AFL Canberra.
Between coaching and managing the workings of the club – including player welfare and sponsorships – he’ll be a busy man.
While he hopes to put his stamp on the Operations Manager role, when it comes to major changes, his firm belief is: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
“You’re talking about an incredibly successful club that people love and support, and generously give their time to,” he says.
“At this stage, for me, it’s just a matter stepping into Pav’s footsteps and learning.”
A major focus for Cawse is ensuring the continued success of the club’s women’s teams. Both the first and Reserve grade women’s teams were Premiers in 2024, and will be defending their titles this year.
He’ll also be in charge of what he believes is “the largest volunteer base of any of the clubs in the Canberra comp”, including ex-players themselves and the families of current and former players.
“If you come down and have a look at our oval and our facilities, they’re pristine,” Cawse says.
“And it’s all done through our volunteers. They’re just amazing. And there’s so many of them always willing to put their hands up.”
Cawse will maintain an exceptional relationship between the football club and the licensed Queanbeyan Tigers Club on Queenbar Road. He attributes the success of the Queanbeyan Tigers to the people behind the footy club, and long-term commitments from local families.
“There’s a lot of people that have been around the club for a long time,” he says.
“People on our board like Ron Fowley, Mark Armstrong, Steve Wightman – guys like that have also been around the club for a long, long time.
“Between that and so many local juniors staying and playing in our senior ranks as well, that’s a massive win for us.”
What about regional recruitment?
“We get quite a few players who’ve moved to Canberra for work or uni and we find that a lot of players from NSW country clubs, when they rock on over here, will generally at least look at us first,” Cawse says.
“We’re pretty well known around the country leagues. And we want that to continue.”
About the Author: Briony Winchester
Part bogan, part wannabe plus-size model and part journalist, Bree's the woman behind Q! News. She's a pop culture obsessive who's deeply in love with her hometown, Queanbeyan, and the neighbouring capital. A born storyteller, she's been writing locally, nationally and internationally for more than 25 years.
