The goalie completed his arborist training in Dunedin and while there he pulled on the green jersey of the Dunedin Thunder for a season.
His time in Dunedin also presented him with his fourth silver medal in the national league, after the Thunder was beaten by the Canterbury Red Devils in last year's final.
The previous three silvers were from his time with the Stampede.
''It's hard,'' he said, adding there had been ''so many promising years''.
''To always blow up in the last game is frustrating.''
As always, he has hope.
''I think we have got a nice fresh team but with a few quality returning players.''
He would be working with fellow goalie Matt Swirtz to defend the Stampede's net.
Of Swirtz, Aston said he was ''the best team-mate you could ask for''.
Returning to Queenstown from Dunedin to work as an arborist was an easy decision to make, Brookes said, even if it had been ''good for me to get out of the Queenstown bubble''.
''I really do love this place.''
The Stampede play the Red Devils tonight and tomorrow, in Christchurch. Its next home game is on June 21.
