Vale Max O’Halloran
It is with great sadness that AFL Cairns acknowledges the passing of Max O’Halloran, who passed away last night. Max was a highly respected figure within Australian Football in Far North Queensland, and his loss will be deeply felt across our football community.
Max’s football journey began on the West Coast of Tasmania as a proud Smithton boy, before he ventured across Bass Strait to play VFL football with Footscray and Carlton. He then moved into coaching, with stints in Darwin and at Windsor-Zillmere in Brisbane. He later made his way north to Cairns, playing briefly for South Cairns before transferring to North Cairns in 1979.
Max went on to coach North Cairns to premiership success in 1985, having also been part of the club’s flag-winning sides as a player in 1980 and 1984. He later took the reins at Cairns Saints, taking over as head coach in the early 1990s and guiding the club to the 1995 premiership.
Max also played a huge role in representative football in the Far North across many decades, including long service as Chairman of Selectors — a role in which his knowledge of the game and its players shaped North Queensland representative sides for years.
Max’s contribution to the game spanned more than half a century, and he remained an active, hands-on figure in local football right to the end — coaching the Cairns Saints Division 3 side as recently as last season.
Beyond his success on the field, Max made a significant contribution to football administration in the region. He was named assistant coach of the AFL Cairns 50-Year Team, a rare honour reflecting his standing among the finest to have served the game in the Far North, and served on the AFL Cairns Board from 1998 to 2007. His contribution to the game was recognised with Life Membership of both AFL Cairns and the North Cairns Football Club, and in 2011 he received an AFL Queensland merit award for his services to football in the state.
Max’s contribution to the wider Cairns community extended well beyond football, including 12 years of service as the Division 7 Councillor for Cairns Regional Council, where he was known for his warmth and commitment to the local community.
“Max left the game, and this community, in a better place than he found it. That’s about as good a legacy as anyone in football can leave, and Max earned every bit of it,” AFL Cairns General Manager Craig Lees said.
Max O’Halloran leaves behind an outstanding legacy as a player, premiership coach, administrator and community leader. His contribution helped shape Australian Football in Far North Queensland across generations.
On behalf of everyone at AFL Cairns, our deepest condolences are with Max’s family, friends, former teammates, players, clubs and the many people across our football community who had the privilege of knowing him.
