Almanac Teams: Captains who came from other clubs
Sydney’s Stuart Maxfield [Source: Author]
The next two teams are based on captains of VFL/AFL clubs from 1980 onwards. This week’s side is those who came from other clubs.
FB: Tom Harley (Geel) Phil Davis (GWS) Gavin Wanganeen (PA)
CHB: Jordan Dawson (Adel) Ross Glendinning (WCE) Callan Ward (GWS)
C: Nathan Buckley (Coll) Patrick Dangerfield (Geel) Stuart Maxfield (Syd)
CHF: Gary Ablett Jr (GCS) Roger Merrett (Bris) Terry Daniher (Ess)
FF: Gary Ablett Sr (Geel) Barry Hall (Syd) Peter Bell (Freo)
Ruck: Matthew Primus (PA) Chris Judd (Carl) Lachie Neale (Bris)
Interchange: Ben Allan (Freo), Alex Jesaulenko (St.K), Josh Kennedy (Syd), Barry Round (Syd)
Others:
Dayne Beams (Bris), Craig Bolton (Syd), Chris Bond (Freo), Carl Ditterich (Melb), Sam Docherty (Carl), Adrian Fletcher (Bris), Brendon Goddard (Ess), Aaron Hamill (St.K), Ken Hinkley (Geel), Kane Johnson (Rich), Alastair Lynch (Bris), Steve Malaxos (WCE), Peter Mann (Freo), Ben McEvoy (Haw), Tony McGuinness (Adel), Toby Nankervis (Rich), Luke Power (GWS), Murray Rance (WCE), Barry Rowlings (Rich), Jack Steele (St.K), Jarrod Witts (GCS)
Tom Harley
1 game Port Adelaide (1998)
197 games Geelong (1999-2009)
Geelong captain (2007-2009)
Geelong premiership captain 2007 and 2009
Harley was traded from Port Adelaide to Geelong in 1998 for Pick 37 (Adam Morgan)
Phil Davis
18 games Adelaide (2009-2011)
174 games Greater Western Sydney (2012-2023)
Greater Western Sydney co-captain (2012-2019)
Greater Western Sydney Grand Final captain 2019
Davis went from Adelaide to Greater Western Sydney in 2011 for a Round 1 Compensation Pick (Luke Brown) and Zone Selection Pick 2 (Brad Crouch)
Gavin Wanganeen
127 games Essendon (1991-1996)
173 games Port Adelaide (1997-2006)
Port Adelaide captain (1997-2000)
Wanganeen moved from Essendon to Port Adelaide in 1996 for Pick 5 (Daniel McAlister)
Jordan Dawson
64 games Sydney (2016-2021)
74 games Adelaide (2022- )
Adelaide captain (2023- )
Dawson was traded from Sydney to Adelaide in 2021 for a first round pick in 2022 which eventually ended up at Hawthorn Pick 18 Josh Weddle.
Ross Glendinning
190 games North Melbourne (1978-1986)
40 games West Coast (1987-1988)
West Coast captain (1987-1988)
Glendinning moved from North Melbourne to West Coast in 1986 as their inaugural captain.
Callan Ward
60 games Western Bulldogs (2008-2011)
262 games Greater Western Sydney (2012- )
Greater Western Sydney co-captain (2012-2019)
Ward moved from the Western Bulldogs to Greater Western Sydney in 2011 for a Round 1 compensation pick in the 2012 Draft which was Pick 5 (Jack Macrae). He missed the 2019 Grand Final due to a knee injury.
Nathan Buckley
20 games Brisbane (1993)
260 games Collingwood (1994-2007)
Collingwood captain (1999-2007)
Captained Collingwood in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals
Buckley was traded from Brisbane to Collingwood in 1993 for Troy Lehmann, Craig Starcevich and Pick 12 (Chris Scott).
Patrick Dangerfield
154 games Adelaide (2008-2015)
190 games Geelong (2016- )
Captained Geelong (2023- )
Traded from Adelaide to Geelong in 2015 for Dean Gore, Pick 11 (Wayne Milera) and Pick 33 which was on traded and ended up at North Melbourne (Mitchell Hibberd)
Stuart Maxfield
89 games Richmond (1990-1995)
200 games Sydney (1996-2005)
Captained Sydney (2003-2005)
Maxfield moved from Richmond to Sydney in 1995 as an uncontracted preseason draft selection. He missed the 2005 Grand Final due to an injury sustained earlier in the year.
Gary Ablett Jr
192 games Geelong (2002-2010)
110 games Gold Coast (2011-2017)
55 games Geelong (2018-2020)
Captained Gold Coast (2011-2016)
Ablett moved from Geelong to Gold Coast in 2010 for compensation pick Number 15 (Billie Smedts) and a compensation pick in 2012 which Geelong traded for Josh Caddy.
Roger Merrett
149 games Essendon (1978-1987)
164 games Brisbane (1988-1996)
Captained Brisbane (1990-1996)
Merrett moved from Essendon to Brisbane in 1987.
Terry Daniher
19 games South Melbourne (1976-1977)
294 games Essendon (1978-1992)
Captained Essendon (1983-1988)
Essendon premiership captain 1984 and 1985
Daniher was traded from South Melbourne to Essendon in 1977 with brother Neale for Neville Fields.
Gary Ablett Sr
6 games Hawthorn (1982)
242 games Geelong (1984-1996)
Captain Geelong (1995-1996)
Co-captained Geelong 1995 Grand Final
Ablett left Hawthorn for country life in Myrtleford in 1983.
Barry Hall
88 games St Kilda (1996-2001)
162 games Sydney (2002-2009)
39 games Western Bulldogs (2010-2015)
Captained Sydney (2006-2007)
Hall captained Sydney to the 2005 Premiership in Maxfield’s absence and was co-captain in the 2006 Grand Final.
Hall was traded from St. Kilda to Sydney in 2001 for Pick 11 (Nick Dal Santo) and Pick 17 which was on traded which ended up at Geelong (James Kelly).
Peter Bell
2 games Fremantle (1995)
123 games North Melbourne (1996-2000)
161 games Fremantle (2001-2008)
Captained Fremantle (2002-2006)
Bell was traded from North Melbourne to Fremantle in 2000 for Jess Sinclair and Pick 6 (Dylan Smith)
Matthew Primus
20 games Fitzroy (1996)
137 games Port Adelaide (1997-2005)
Captained Port Adelaide (2001-2005)
Primus was captain for 2004’s Premiership, but missed most of the season after a knee injury sustained in Round 3.
Primus was an uncontracted player selection from Fitzroy in 1996.
Chris Judd
134 games West Coast (2002-2007)
145 games Carlton (2008-2015)
Captained Carlton (2008-2012)
While this team focus is players that captained their second team, Judd also captained the West Coast Eagles from 2006-2007 which included being a premiership captain in 2006.
Judd was traded from West Coast to Carlton in 2007 for Josh Kennedy, Pick 3 (Chris Mastern), and Pick 20 (Tony Notte).
Lachie Neale
135 games Fremantle (2012-2018)
140 games Brisbane (2019- )
Co-captained Brisbane (2023- )
Neale co captained Brisbane in the 2024 Premiership and 2023 Grand Final.
Neale was traded from Fremantle to Brisbane in 2018 for picks that Fremantle on traded, Pick 6 (Ben King), Pick 19 (Liam Stocker) and Pick 54 (Nick Hind). From these picks Fremantle received Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb.
Ben Allan
98 games Hawthorn (1990-1994)
47 games Fremantle (1995-1997)
Captained Fremantle (1995-1996)
Allan was an uncontracted player selection from Hawthorn to Fremantle in 1994.
Alex Jesaulenko
256 games Carlton (1967-1979)
23 games St Kilda (1980-1981)
Captained St Kilda (1981)
Jesaulenko like Judd also captained his first club in Carlton from 1974 to 1976 and again from 1978 to 1979, of which 1979 he was the most recent premiership-winning captain-coach. He moved from Carlton to St Kilda after a fallout with the new Carlton board.
Josh Kennedy
13 games Hawthorn (2007-2009)
277 games Sydney (2010-2022)
Captained Sydney (2017-2021)
Kennedy was traded from Hawthorn to Sydney in 2009 for Pick 39 (Sam Grimley).
Barry Round
135 games Footscray (1968-1975)
193 games Sydney (1976-1985)
Captained Sydney (1980-1984)
Round moved from Footscray to South Melbourne in 1975.
Others
Dayne Beams
110 games Collingwood (2009-2014)
58 games Brisbane (2015-2018)
9 games Collingwood (2019)
Captained Brisbane (2017-2018)
Traded by Collingwood to Brisbane for Pick 5 (Jordan De Goey) and Jack Crisp.
Craig Bolton
29 games Brisbane (1999-2002)
170 games Sydney (2003-2010)
Co-captained Sydney (2008-2010)
Bolton was delisted from Brisbane and was Pick 3 for Sydney in the 2003 Preseason Draft.
Chris Bond
22 games Carlton (1990-1992)
100 games Richmond (1993-1997)
41 games Fremantle (1998-1999)
Captained Fremantle (1999)
Bond was traded from Richmond to Fremantle in 1997 for Pick 2 (Brad Ottens)
Carl Ditterich
153 games St Kilda (1963-1972)
53 games Melbourne (1973-1975)
50 games St Kilda (1976-1978)
29 games Melbourne (1979-1980)
Captained St Kilda (1976-1977)
Captain-coach Melbourne (1979-1980)
Ditterich joined Melbourne under the 10-year-rule but returned to St Kilda to captain as his six-year contract at Melbourne was then considered too expensive. Ditterich re-joined Melbourne for the opportunity to coach.
Sam Docherty
13 games Brisbane (2012-2013)
162 games Carlton (2014- )
Co-captain Carlton (2019-2021)
Docherty was traded from Brisbane to Carlton in 2013 for Pick 33 (Tom Cutler).
Adrian Fletcher
23 games Geelong (1989-1991)
22 games St Kilda (1992)
107 games Brisbane (1993-1997)
79 games Fremantle (1998-2001)
Co-captain Fremantle (2000-2001)
Fletcher was traded from Brisbane to Fremantle in 1997 for Pick 5 (Luke Power).
Aaron Hamill
92 games Carlton (1995-2000)
98 games St Kilda (2001-2008)
Captained St Kilda (2005)
Hamill was traded from Carlton to St Kilda in 2000 for Sam Cranage and Pick 4 (Luke Livingstone).
Ken Hinkley
11 games Fitzroy (1987-1988)
121 games Geelong (1989-1995)
Co-captained Geelong (1995)
Co-captain Geelong 1995 Grand Final
Hinkley was traded from Fitzroy to Gelong in 1988 for Pick 48 (Scott Jordan).
Kane Johnson
104 games Adelaide (1996-2002)
116 games Richmond (2003-2008)
Captained Richmond (2005-2008)
Johnson was traded from Adelaide to Richmond in 2001 for Jason Torney and Pick 32 (Luke Jericho). The trade was complicated as it involved Wayne Carey from North Melbourne and various pick swaps which included Richmond’s Pick 2 and also Daniel Wells.
Alastair Lynch
120 games Fitzroy (1988-1993)
186 games Brisbane (1994-2004)
Captained Brisbane (1997-2000)
Lynch was traded from Fitzroy to Brisbane in 1993 for Pick 7 (Chris Johnson).
Steve Malaxos
9 games Hawthorn (1985)
66 games West Coast (1987-1990)
Captained West Coast (1990)
Malaxos joined West Coast in 1987 in their inaugural season.
Peter Mann
39 games North Melbourne (1991-1994)
77 games Fremantle (1995-1999)
Captained Fremantle (1997-1998)
Mann joined Fremantle from North Melbourne in 1995 for a Compensation Underage Draft selection (Stuart Cochrane).
Ben McEvoy
91 games St Kilda (2008-2013)
161 games Hawthorn (2014-2022)
Captained Hawthorn (2021-2022)
McEvoy was traded from St Kilda to Hawthorn in 2013 for Shane Savage and Pick 15 (Luke Dunstan).
Tony McGuinness
109 games Footscray (1986-1990)
113 games Adelaide (1991-1996)
Captained Adelaide (1995-1996)
McGuiness moved from Footscray to Adelaide in 1990.
Toby Nankervis
12 games Sydney (2014-2016)
153 games Richmond (2017- )
Captained Richmond (2022- )
Nankervis was traded from Sydney to Richmond in 2016 for Pick 45 (Jack Malbaum).
Luke Power
282 games Brisbane (1998-2011)
20 games Greater Western Sydney (2012)
Co-captained Greater Western Sydney (2012)
While this team’s focus is on players who captained their second teams, Power also captained Brisbane from 2007 to 2008.
Power was traded from Brisbane to Greater Western Sydney in 2011 for Pick 69 (Mitch Golby).
Murray Rance
40 games Footscray (1986-1987)
57 games West Coast Eagles (1988-1990)
Captained West Coast Eagles (1989)
Rance was uncontracted player signing for West Coast Eagles in 1987.
Barry Rowlings
82 games Hawthorn (1975-1978)
152 games Richmond (1979-1986)
Captained Richmond (1983-1984)
Rowlings was cleared from Hawthorn to Richmond in 1978.
Jack Steele
17 games Greater Western Sydney (2015-2016)
170 games St Kilda (2017- )
Captained St Kilda (2021- )
Steele was traded from Greater Western Sydney to St Kilda for Pick 27 (Brent Daniels).
Jarrod Witts
40 games Collingwood (2012-2016)
148 games Gold Coast (2017- )
Co-captained Gold Coast (2019-2024)
Witts was traded from Collingwood to Gold Coast for Pick 35 (Callum Brown) and Pick 57 (Josh Daicos).
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I’ll get the ball rolling in making the first comment on another wonderful team conjured up by Rodney.
Though it was a different era, well only a few years prior, I want to give a shout out to North Melbourne’s first premiership captain, Barry Davis. Davis played 218 games with Essendon, who he captained in the latter part of his career there, 1970 & 1971. All good things must come to an end, this coinciding with the short lived ’10 year rule’, he was offered the captaincy with North Melbourne. Davis then played 71 games with North Melbourne, the final one being when he led them to the 1975 premiership. He duly retired after that triumph.
Glen!
Further to Glen’s comment, there are 2 more players that played in a different era.
Firstly, Ron Barassi was the captain-coach of Carlton from 1965-68, having previously been the captain of Melbourne from 1960-64.
Des Tuddenham was captain-coach of Essendon from 1972-75, having previously been the captain of Collingwood from 1966-69 and he was later captain of 1976.
I also agree that it’s definitely a strong team and I think the others named would also be a good team:
B: Chris Bond (Frem), Craig Bolton (Syd), Brendon Goddard (Ess)
HB: Ken Hinkley (Geel), Murray Rance (WC), Sam Docherty (Carl)
C: Kane Johnson (Rich), Jack Steele (St K), Steve Malaxos (WC)
HF: Aaron Hamill (St K), Peter Mann (Frem), Luke Parker (GWS)
F: Barry Rowlings (Rich), Alastair Lynch (BL), Tony McGuinness (Adel)
R: Toby Nankervis (Rich), Dayne Beams (BL), Adrian Fletcher (Frem)
Interchange: Ben McEvoy (Haw), Carl Ditterich (Melb), Jarrod Witts (GC)
Both these captain teams could play an exhibition match against each other at Docklands Park (Ron Barassi Senior Park).
Radio Commentary: Jack Dyer and Ian Major (The Captain and The Major) 3KZ
Entertainment: Captain and Tennille
Transport for interstate players: Qantas (with Captain Groenewegen on board)
Let’s hope for a good game of football with plenty of “captains’ calls”.
Firstly, there were a few typing errors in my last comment.
Des Tuddenham later was captain of Collingwood again in 1976, having previously been captain-coach of Essendon from 1972-75 and before that he was captain of Collingwood from 1966-69.
It should be Luke Power instead of Luke Parker (GWS) on the half forward flank.
My next comment is Chris Johnson (205 games Brisbane Lions 1997-2007) was the Co-Captain of the Brisbane Lions in 2007, having previously played 59 games for Fitzroy from 1994-1996.
Rodney great article certainly more than what I thought and how many had such a huge impact not only on that club as a player but leader for mine the two which stick out are Tom Harley and Stu Maxfield
Massive influence in so many ways
Great article mate
I always remember you taking a screamer at gully to remove the little Don Ian Seuren from Princetown.
An extremely strong team this one Rodney, very well put together!
Thanks Glen, Barry Davis is a great one.
Thanks Anon, Barassi and Tuddenham are good examples as well
Thanks Rulebook agree with you on Harkey & Maxfield
David Atchia, great to hear from you, think you took 8 or 9 wickets that day.
Thanks Luke for your kind words