Ben Cousins is in elite company as he embarks on his journey at Tigerland.

The ex-Eagle becomes the ninth captain of another AFL/VFL club to join Richmond in its 100 years of league football, and just the third since World War 1.

The only two other skippers from rival league clubs to play for the Tigers in the past 90 years, have been Ian Stewart and David Thorpe. 

Stewart captained St Kilda for one year, in 1969, while Thorpe captained Footscray for one year, in 1973. Both subsequently went on to play in premiership sides at Richmond – Stewart in 1973 and Thorpe in 1974.  Stewart, a dual Brownlow Medallist with the Saints, made it a third Brownlow in his debut season with Richmond in 1971, as well as the Club’s Best and Fairest the same year.

Before World War 1, the Tigers secured the services of six captains from other league clubs – Dick Condon, Charlie Pannam and Dan Minogue from Collingwood; Charlie Ricketts and Bill Thomas from South Melbourne; and Dave Smith from Essendon.

Condon, who captained Collingwood from 1899-1900, was Richmond’s playing coach in its inaugural VFL season of 1908, and then became the Club’s captain in 1909.  He replaced Charlie Pannam, who had captained Collingwood in 1905, before taking over the skipper’s reins at Richmond when it entered the competition in 1908.

Minogue was Collingwood’s captain from 1914-16, before joining Richmond as captain-coach in 1920.  He led the Tigers to their first VFL premiership in his debut season at the Club, and helped them go back-to-back in 1921.  All-up, he played 95 games for Richmond from 1920-25, winning the Club’s Best and Fairest in 1920.

Ricketts captained South Melbourne in 1909 and then again in 1912, before returning to Richmond, who he had played with in the VFA.  He won the Tigers’ Best and Fairest in 1913 and then took over as the Club’s playing coach – a position he held from 1914-16.

Thomas was South Melbourne’s captain-coach from 1910-11.  He later captained  Richmond from 1914-16 and again in 1919.

Smith, an Essendon premiership captain in 1911, joined the Tigers in 1914, but played only one senior game with the Club.

Cousins, who arrived at Punt Road this week via the pre-season draft, was West Coast’s captain from 2002-05.