Almanac Teams: Players that played in three states
Footscray’s Jim Edmond [Source: Author]
This team is team of those who have played for VFL/AFL clubs in three different states.
I have found 38 players and two coaches (if I have missed some, please advise) and with the entry of the Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles in 1987, this was the first year it became possible. Jim Edmond was the first player to achieve the feat and Tom Hickey is the only player to done so in four states. Rucks seem to be players that are most willing to travel to multiple states with seven on this list. The list also includes four current players with Jack Gunston, Rory Lobb and Jaeger O’Meara likely to join this list later this year.
FB: Tony Armstrong Mark Zanotti Matthew Sphanger
CHB: James Aish Peter Caven Adam Heuskes
C: Fabian Francis Adrian Fletcher Jared Polec
CHF: Jim Edmond Jesse Hogan Mark Roberts
FF: John Hutton Scott Cummings Brad Rowe
Ruck: Tom Hickey Rhys Palmer Matthew Ryan
Interchange: Kevin Caton, Jamie Duursma, Hugh Greenwood, Alex Ishchenko
Other squad members are: Harley Bennell, Matthew Clarke, Jon Giles, Chris Groom, Mark Hepburn, Jack Hombsch, Ben Hudson, Sam Jacobs, Nick Lower, Martin McKinnon, Anthony Miles, Mitch Morton, Michael Murphy, Chad Rintoul, Jacob Townsend and Stuart Wigney.
Coach: Rodney Eade
Assistant Coach: John Northey
Tony Armstrong
14 Games Adelaide 2010-2011
15 Games Sydney 2012-2013
6 Games Collingwood 2014-2015
35 Games in Total
Now works for the ABC’s morning news show and is a Logie winner for best new talent.
Mark Zanotti
36 Games West Coast Eagles 1987-1988
64 Games Brisbane Bears 1989-1992
57 Games Fitzroy 1993-1995
157 Games in Total
A Cult Figure at all three clubs.
Matthew Sphanger
26 Games West Coast Eagles 2008-2010
6 Games Sydney 2011
20 Games Hawthorn 2013-2016
52 Games in Total
Similar in looks to Zanotti, Sphanger was a cult figure and also premiership player at Hawthorn.
James Aish
32 Games Brisbane 2014-2015
50 Games Collingwood 2016-2019
61 Games Fremantle 2020-
143 Games in Total
Started his career at Norwood in the SANFL, making it four states he has played in if you include all leagues.
Peter Caven
39 Games Fitzroy 1991-1993
18 Games Sydney 1994-1995
82 Games Adelaide 1996-2000
139 Games in Total
Caven was a two time premiership player at Adelaide and also remembered for an unfortunate run-in with the elbow of future teammate and Legend Tony Lockett.
Adam Heuskes
49 Games Sydney 1994-1996
37 Games Port Adelaide 1997-1998
39 Games Brisbane 1999-2000
125 Games in Total
Heuskes was an All Australian in 1997 and makes for a starting back six (all bar Caven) with plenty of hair and flair.
Fabian Francis
1 Game Melbourne 1991
22 Games Brisbane 1993-1994
86 Games Port Adelaide 1997-2001
109 Games in Total
Fabian is the step-father of current Port Adelaide player Jason Horne-Francis.
Adrian Fletcher
23 Games Geelong 1989-1991
22 Games St Kilda 1992
107 Games Brisbane 1993-1997
79 Games Fremantle 1998-2001
210 Games in Total
Adrian was a Best & Fairest winner in 1999 and captain from 2000-2001 at Fremantle. His son Jaspa is now at Adrian’s old club, Brisbane.
Jared Polec
16 Games Brisbane 2011-2013
90 Games Port Adelaide 2014-2018
42 Games North Melbourne 2019-2022
148 Games in Total
Polec was Pick 5 in 2010 from Woodville-West Torrens
Jim Edmond
154 Games Footscray 1977-1985
17 Games Sydney 1986
17 Games Brisbane 1987-1988
188 Games in Total
Edmond was Footscray’s captain from 1983-1985 and is the first player to have played in the VFL/AFL over three states.
Jesse Hogan
71 Games Melbourne 2015-2018
19 Games Fremantle 2019-2020
21 Games GWS 2021-
111 Games in Total
Hogan was the Rising Star winner in 2015.
Mark Roberts
18 Games Sydney 1985-1986
59 Games Brisbane 1988-1990
125 Games North Melbourne 1991-1999
202 Games in Total
Roberts was a premiership player at North Melbourne.
John Hutton
18 Games Brisbane 1992
5 Games Sydney 1993
13 Games Fremantle 1995
36 Games in total
Hutton was the Number 1 Draft Pick in 1991 but delisted after only 12 months.
Scott Cummings
40 Games Essendon 1994-1996
37 Games Port Adelaide 1997-1998
37 Games West Coast Eagles 1999-2001
5 Games Collingwood 2002
119 Games in total
Cummings was the Coleman Medallist in 1999 and leading goalkicker at Essendon, Port Adelaide and West Coast.
Brad Rowe
14 Games Brisbane 1990-1991
51 Games Collingwood 1992-1995
8 Games Fremantle 1996
73 Games in Total
Rowe was drafted with Pick 5 in 1989.
Tom Hickey
12 Games Gold Coast 2011-2012
67 Games St Kilda 2013-2018
23 Games West Coast 2019-2020
37 Games Sydney 2021-
139 Games in Total
Hickey so far is the only player to have played in four states.
Rhys Palmer
53 Games Fremantle 2008-2011
69 Games GWS 2012-2016
1 Game Carlton 2017
123 Games in Total
Palmer won the Rising Star in 2008.
Matthew Ryan
45 Games Collingwood 1985-1989
10 Games Sydney 1990
18 Games Brisbane 1991-1992
73 Games in Total
Ryan came second in the Copeland Trophy in 1987.
Kevin Caton
1 Game West Coast 1988
9 Games Fitzroy 1989
8 Games Brisbane 1990
18 Games in total
Caton played three consecutive years in different states.
Jamie Duursma
25 Games Sydney 1985-1986
1 Game Brisbane 1987
33 Games Melbourne 1988-1989
57 Games in Total
Jamie played in the 1988 Grand Final and is the uncle of current Port Adelaide player Xavier.
Hugh Greenwood
51 Games Adelaide 2017-2019
32 Games Gold Coast 2020-2021
21 Games North Melbourne 2022-
104 Games in Total
Greenwood was a promising basketballer for the Perth Wildcats and was invited for a pre draft workout with the Utah Jazz.
Alex Ishchenko
30 Games West Coast 1987-88
42 Games Brisbane 1990-91
70 Games North Melbourne 1992-1995
142 Games in total
Ishchenko played in a reserves premiership at Brisbane in 1991 and again at North Melbourne in 1995.
Harley Bennell
81 Games Gold Coast 2011-2015
2 Games Fremantle 2017
5 Games Melbourne 2020
88 Games in Total
Bennell was a Number 2 draft pick for the Gold Coast Suns.
Matthew Clarke
130 Games Brisbane 1993-1999
118 Games Adelaide 2000-2006
10 Games St Kilda 2007
258 Games in Total
Clarke started his career at Richmond’s Under 19s and is now a premiership winning AFLW coach at Adelaide.
Jon Giles
51 Games GWS 2012-2014
3 Games Essendon 2015
9 Games West Coast 2016-2017
63 Games in Total
Giles started his career on Port Adelaide’s list but did not play a game.
Chris Groom
12 Games Adelaide 1993-1994
7 Games Fremantle 1995
5 Games North Melbourne 1997-1998
24 Games in Total
Groom was traded to Fremantle for the rights to draft Andrew McLeod.
Mark Hepburn
56 Games North Melbourne 1987-1990
13 Games West Coast 1991-1992
7 Games Sydney 1994
76 Games in total
Hepburn spent 1993 travelling overseas.
Jack Hombsch
9 Games GWS 2012
89 Games Port Adelaide 2013-2018
18 Games Gold Coast 2019
116 Games in Total
Hombsch kicked just one goal in his career.
Ben Hudson
55 Games Adelaide 2005-2007
88 Games Western Bulldogs 2008-2011
18 Games Brisbane 2012
7 Games Collingwood 2013
168 Games in Total
Hudson, also known as ‘The People’s Beard’, retired three times – first at the Bulldogs, then Lions and lastly Magpies.
Sam Jacobs
17 Games Carlton 2009-2010
184 Games Adelaide 2011-2019
7 Games GWS 2020
208 Games in Total
Jacobs made three All Australian squads and won three Showdown Medals.
Nick Lower
20 Games Port Adelaide 2006-2009
22 Games Fremantle 2011-2012
13 Games Western Bulldogs 2013
55 Games in Total
Nick’s twin brother Ed played 42 games for North Melbourne.
Martin McKinnon
25 Games Adelaide 1994-1995
54 Games Geelong 1996-1998
7 Games Brisbane 1999-2000
86 Games in total
McKinnon was Adelaide’s first ever draftee with Pick 26 in 1992.
Anthony Miles
10 Games GWS 2012-2013
61 Games Richmond 2014-2018
17 Games Gold Coast 2019
88 Games in total
Miles finished fourth in the 2015 Jack Dyer Medal count.
Mitch Morton
12 Games West Coast 2005-2007
59 Games Richmond 2008-2011
12 Games Sydney 2012-2013
83 Games in Total
Morton was Richmond’s leading goalkicker in 2009 and a Sydney premiership player in 2012.
Michael Murphy
3 Games North Melbourne 1988
16 Games Adelaide 1991-1992
10 Games Brisbane 1993
29 Games in total
Murphy never kicked a goal at North Melbourne but kicked 63 in 26 games at Adelaide and Brisbane with a best haul of eight and on six occasions kicked five goals or more.
Chad Rintoul
23 Games Adelaide 1997-1998
39 Games West Coast 1999-2000
14 Games Collingwood 2001-2002
76 Games
Rintoul was a premiership player in just his 11th game in 1997.
Jacob Townsend
28 Games GWS 2012-2015
20 Games Richmond 2016-2019
12 Games Essendon 2020
2 Games Gold Coast 2021
62 games in Total
Townsend was a Richmond premiership player in 2017.
Stuart Wigney
47 Games Footscray 1988-1991
1 Game Sydney 1992
10 Games Adelaide 1993-1994
14 Games Richmond 1995-1996
72 Games in Total
Stuart’s brother Brad played state-level cricket for South Australia.
Coach: Rodney Eade
152 Games Sydney 1996-2002
162 Games Western Bulldogs 2005-2011
63 games Gold Coast 2015-2017
379 Games Coached
Eade as a player was recruited from Tasmania, making a total of four states he has been involved with.
Assistant Coach: John Northey
22 Games Sydney 1985
167 Melbourne 1986-1992
67 Richmond 1993-1995
59 Brisbane 1996-1998
315 games Coached
Northey was the inaugural coach of the Brisbane Lions
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Good work again mate. You mentioned that Tom Hickey has played in four states so far – I wonder if he’ll complete the set with a stint at Adelaide or Port?
Hypothetically he could add Tasmania to the list if he plays that long!
Name the player who played in 3 premierships in 3 different state leagues – including one in the VFL pre-1987.
My guess is Brian”Whale’ Roberts. Think he played State of Origin for Vic , SA and WA. Played in Richmond’s 1973 and 74 Premierships.
Can’t be Roberts as he wasn’t in South Adelaide’s 1964 flag side.
Also, he was retired before “State of Origin” was a concept.
Roberts did however represent SA, WA and Vic state sides.
Hadyn Bunton snr played in 4 States – NSW, Victoria, WA & SA.
Coached in three.
Stephen Mount played in the following premiership teams
Richmond
Sandy Bay
South Fremantle [2nds ]
Technically correct answer albeit I am fairly sure Peter wasn’t referring to 2nds
But the correct answer is John Watts
East Perth 56 58 and 59
Geelong 63
Hobart 66
Correct weight Hayden. John K Watts was full back in East Perth’s 1956/8/9 WAFL flags alongside his great mate Polly Farmer. He followed Polly to Geelong winning the 1963 VFL flag. After 3 seasons at the Cats he moved to captain coach Hobart Tigers leading them to the 1966 TANFL flag.
Returning to Perth he became a breakfast radio celebrity, publican and raconteur about town. Perhaps his greatest claim to fame is composing the “We are Geelong” club song to the tune of the Toreador song from Bizet’s Carmen.
Peter
It only took me 2 days of googling at random pre 1987 VFL premiership players originally from interstate to land on it [lol] . I reckon I hit on JKW at about my 50th attempt .
HK
Thanks Jarrod, the way ruckman get traded I hope Hickey does find his way to SA and then Tassie
Thanks Rodney. Interesting list of football journeymen.
Do Ralph Rogerson, the aforenamed Brian “the Whale” Roberts & Bob Beecroft also qualify for your list?