Education
Horsnell attended Keebra Park State High School and captained the 1988 Australia Schoolboy team on a tour of New Zealand.
Horsnell attended Keebra Park State High School and captained the 1988 Australia Schoolboy team on a tour of New Zealand.
He was a Junior Queensland representative in 1985 as an under-16 and in 1988 at under-18. Horsnell played for the Runaway Bay Seagulls and was part of their successful junior teams. Horsnell made his first grade debut for the Gold Coast Giants in 1989 as a five-eighth/centre.
However, Horsnell slowly moved into the forwards and by 1992 he played the whole season as a lock for the now Gold Coast Seagulls.
After six seasons and 82 matches for the Gold Coast club, Horsnell left in 1995, joining the new South Queensland Crushers franchise. He was part of their inaugural match on 11 March 1995 and spent the next two seasons with the club
In 1997 Horsnell joined the Parramatta Eels, where he was used in every position in the pack. Even starting at hooker and at property
Horsnell left the club at the end of the 1998 season.
Horsnell was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. On 23 October 2004 a charity match was held for Horsnell that featured the South Queensland Crushers and the Gold Coast Seagulls, both now defunct, being resurrected for the day.