Defender Aaron Downes joined Rovers on a month-long loan on new year's day, 2012 from Chesterfield. Brought in to provide cover following a string of injuries to key Rovers players, Downes quickly established himself as a key player in The Pirates' defence, leading to his temporary contract being extended until the end of the 2011–12 season. He has international honours for Australia at the under-20 and under-23 levels, but has never been capped by the senior national team.