Queenscliff coach Heath Jamieson’s desire to add more experience to his youthful squad has come to fruition with three key signings, including a VFL best-and-fairest winner.
The Coutas have confirmed to K rock Football the signing of 2015 Liston Trophy recipient Nick Rippon, his brother Marshall, and two-time Leopold premiership defender Trent Thompson.
It follows the previously announced signings of Sam Kalbfell (South Mildura) and Jaydo Wright (Lake Wendouree) by this year’s beaten semi-finalists.
Queenscliff was the surprise packet of the 2025 season, finishing the home-and-away season in third position.
However, its first finals campaign in seven years resulted in consecutive losses to the battle-hardened Torquay and eventual premier Anglesea.
“(Adding experience) was our mandate with our recruiting this year,” coach Heath Jamieson said.
“I think we’ve got the bones of a really good side.
“We’ve given the kids the opportunity to get to 50-odd games, and anyone that we were going to bring in this year, we wanted to bring in at the top end that was going to make a difference.”
Nick Rippon’s resume is stacked full of accolades.
After graduating from TAC Cup (Talent League) club North Ballarat Rebels to the North Ballarat Roosters in the VFL, Rippon, where he played 79 matches, won the Liston, and represented Victoria.
Following the Roosters’ return to the Ballarat league, Rippon spent two seasons with North Melbourne’s VFL team for a total of 105 state league games.
Post-COVID, Rippon played with Lake Wendouree in 2021 before joining North Central club Birchip-Watchem in 2023, winning the league best-and-fairest in 2024, and earning Team of the Year selection each season.
He also kicked 99 goals in 52 games.
“He’s that tough inside mid that brings some real strength to the side that we probably need and that more experience that we wanted,” Jamieson said.
Marshall Rippon played with East Point in Ballarat before carving out an impressive career with VAFA club Uni Blues, featuring in a Premier A grand final win under Jamieson in 2019.
That same year, he finished joint runner-up to teammate Ayce Cordy in the competition’s best-and-fairest, the Woodrow Medal.
Rippon represented the VAFA against Vic Country on two occasions and captained Amateurur’s under-23 team in 2024.
He helped Birchip-Watchem to the 2022 premiership and was also a North Central Team of the Year selection.
“Marshall’s an elder statesman now, but his best footy is really good,” Jamieson said.
“He was runner-up in the league medal in the VAFA in my premiership year at Uni Blues.”
Thompson joins the club that his brother Brock previously played at after 113 games for Leopold.
After graduating from the Geelong Falcons at the end of 2016, the no-frills defender became a regular senior player from 2019 onwards at Memorial Park.
“Trent’s been one of the premier defenders in the GFL for quite some time,” Jamieson said.
“So if you get a player of his calibre into the footy club, it’s pretty exciting for us.
“I’m sure our undersized defence will be happy having Trent run out with them each week to be able to play on the big monsters.”
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Jamieson says the arrival of the Rippon brothers and Thompson likely ends Queenscliff’s off-season recruiting.
“We’ve sat down with a lot of (potential) recruits the last couple of years, (recruiting boss) Aaron Jones and myself, trying to get them to the football club, and it hasn’t quite worked out,” he said.
“This year, we’ve sat down with five, with a plan to get the five, and the five that we wanted are walking through the door.
“We’re really excited.”
Queenscliff will commence pre-season training towards the end of November.
X: @krockfootball
