The Queensland Rugby Union wishes to farewell Sef Fa'agase, Alex Hodgman, Connor Vest and Max Craig after their commitment to the Reds jersey in 2025.
Prop Hodgman and lock-backrower Vest are heading into retirement after lengthy careers in the game.
The quartet were valued members of the Queensland Reds squad and depart with positive wishes for the future from coaches and teammates.
“Sef, Alex, 'Vesty' and Max have all made important contributions to the Reds during my time at the club. They depart with our wishes for success in the future,” Reds Head Coach Les Kiss said.
Prop Fa'agase, 34, played 92 games for the Reds in two stints stretching back to his debut in 2015 when he became Reds player #1278.
"To play one game for the Reds was huge. To play 92 is something of a dream because the Reds was the first rep side I ever made," Fa'agase said.
"The most pleasing thing for me is to see where I was as a kid from Shailer Park to where I am now, on and off the field. This second stage at the Reds (2022-25) has been the favourite part of my career.
"I've got real enjoyment and pride seeing young props and hookers come in and grow as much as they have just in one year.
"Hopefully, I've helped in that process because I've always had a love of the Reds jersey and want to see Queensland rugby keep doing well."
Fa'agase pinpointed the Reds playing in Apia in 2017 and 2023 as two highlight games across his career as a Red.
"Playing in front of a big family contingent in Samoa really stands out for me," he said.
Vest was 27 when he played the first of his 32 games in 2022 as Reds player #1369 which heightens the sense of achievement he feels.
"My dream took a very long time to achieve. My feelings are of gratitude and enjoyment to be one of those few people who get to run out on a footy field as a professional player," Vest said.
"To have a person of the stature of (former coach) Brad Thorn be one of the first to really recognise my ability to play and tell me to back myself is something I'm proud of."
Playing against the British and Irish Lions for Queensland was a high this year yet Vest chose a match in 2023 as his favourite for the Reds.
"Beating the Chiefs in New Plymouth after defending 25-plus phases at the end is probably No.1 for me. I played all 82 minutes, played some of my best footy that year and showed I had the game to be a starter in Super Rugby," Vest said.
Being able to comeback from a major injury later that same year showed his resilience.
"It's a hard one to make a comeback from a broken neck but I still wanted to because it's the game you love," Vest, 31, said.
"There were ups and downs to that but I was proud to finally get the wheels back in motion, find my confidence, play and contribute to the Reds again."
Vest is a fully-qualified builder and already has contracts in the pipeline for the next stage of his career.
Hodgman, 32, has returned to Auckland for the next stage of his life after two seasons and 17 appearances for the Reds to add to his long career in New Zealand.
Joining the players to represent the Wallabies and All Blacks was his rare achievement against Georgia in 2024.
"For me, setting up my family has always been the most important thing. I wanted to taste something different in Queensland and we definitely did that with a good experience," said Hodgman, Reds player #1396.
"Ultimately, NZ is my home. I had a lot of fun playing footy. You know when it's time to finish up."
Hooker Craig is still just 22 and is determined to build on his professional rugby career which kicked off with three games for the Reds.
Diligent rehab enabled him to return from a broken ankle, sustained in club rugby, to play for the Reds off the bench against Japan's Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights at Ballymore Stadium last Saturday.
"It was good to get out there on the field for that final game of the year," said Craig, Reds player #1386.
"It's been an interesting ride the past two years with so much time sidelined with injury which has been unfortunate.
"I've still improved and learnt a lot to carry into the future about how to be a professional rugby player.
"It's a really good base to go off and an understanding of the level you have to reach to play at the top level."
