A UNIQUE club of players is set to welcome two new members next season.

With former Greater Western Sydney forwards Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer to return to Melbourne for 2027, they are set to become just the 14th and 15th players in the AFL era and only the fourth and fifth this century to play for four AFL clubs.

Collingwood agreed a trade for Hogan during the trade period in exchange for pick 75 after the forward played 100 games in six seasons at the Giants following his stints at Melbourne and Fremantle earlier in his career.

And Stringer, his former Giants teammate, is set to join St Kilda as a delisted free agent next month after stints at GWS, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs.

While a total of 30 players have played at four clubs in VFL/AFL history, the rate has slowed significantly in the past 25 years.

Tom Hickey, Jacob Townsend and Ben Hudson are the only members of the four-club club so far this century, and Hogan and Stringer will join them assuming they make their debuts for their respective new clubs next season.

The retirement of ruck journeyman Tom Campbell earlier this year meant he fell just short of joining the four-club club. 

Having previously played at the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and St Kilda, Campbell spent two seasons at Melbourne but was not able to break through for a club debut, meaning he retired a three-club player.

The same applies to Sydney tall Joel Hamling, who has been listed at four clubs – Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle and the Swans – but did not play a senior game with the Cats.

AFL era (1990-present)

Five-club club
Dale Kickett (1990-2002) - Fitz, WC, StK, Ess, Frem

Four-club club
Brian Wilson (1978-1991) - Foot, NM, Mel, StK
Richard Osborne (1982-1998) - Fitz, Syd, Foot, Coll
Mark Athorn (1987-1993) - Foot, Fitz, Syd, Carl
Stuart Wigney (1988-1996) - Foot, Syd, Adel, Rich
Simon Minton-Connell (1989-1998) - Carl, Syd, Haw, WB
Adrian Fletcher (1989-2001) - Geel, StK, BB/BL, Frem
Martin Pike (1993-2005) - Mel, Fitz, NM, BL
Scott Cummings (1994-2002) - Ess, PA, WC, Coll
Justin Murphy (1994-2005) - Rich, Carl, Geel, Ess 
Ben Hudson (2004-2013) - Ade, WB, BL, Coll
Tom Hickey (2011-2023) - GC, StK, WC, Syd
Jacob Townsend (2012-2021) - GWS, Rich, Ess, GC

VFL era (1896-1989)

Five-club club
Les Abbott (1904-1912) - Coll, Carl, Rich, Melb, SM
Les Hughson (1927-1937) - Coll, Haw, Carl, StK, Fitz

Four-club club
Edward Baker (1920-1934) - Carl, Coll, Geel, Foot
Charlie Anderson (1924-1927) - Carl, SM, Rich, Foot
Lew Sharpe (1926-1934) - StK, Foot, Fitz, Ess
Norm Le Brun (1929-1935) - SM, Ess, Coll, Carl
Frank Kelly (1930-1944) - Coll, Melb, Ess, StK
Dick Chirgwin (1934-1943) - Rich, SM, Foot, NM
George Dougherty (1934-1945) - Carl, Geel, Foot, SM
Alf Clay (1937-1946) - Haw, Foot, Fitz, NM
Vic Nankervis (1941-1946) - Geel, Foot, StK, SM
Allan Davis (1966-1980) - StK, Melb, Ess, Coll
Daryl Cumming (1971-1979) - Rich, Melb, NM, SM
Craig Davis (1973-1988) - Carl, NM, Coll, Syd
Geoff Raines (1976-1989) - Rich, Coll, Ess, BB
Phil Carman (1975-1982) - Coll, Melb, Ess, NM
Peter Francis (1979-1988) - Carl, Fitz, Rich, Ess