TONY LOCKETT
Original club: St Kilda (183 games)
Club he moved to: Sydney Swans
First match against original club: round 14, 1995 at the SCG
Score: St Kilda 17.17 (119) d Sydney Swans 14.10 (94)
A disappointing first crack at his old side for Plugger - five goals from 10 touches was a good return, but not enough to drag his team over the line in front of just 14,979 fans.
DARREN JARMAN
Original club: Hawthorn (109 games)
Club he moved to: Adelaide
First match against original club: round 11, 1996 at Waverley Park
Score: Hawthorn 16.12 (108) d Adelaide 14.15 (99)
One-time Hawk Jarman remembers feeling "weird" ahead of the first clash with his former team. Perhaps that's why things didn't go to plan for the superbly-skilled Crow, who found himself on the bench throughout a match when Jason Dunstall's nine goals got the Hawks home by nine points. And Jarman racked up a lowly nine touches.
TONY MODRA
Original club: Adelaide (118 games)
Club he moved to: Fremantle
First match against original club: round 11, 1999 at Subiaco Oval
Score: Fremantle 18.14 (122) d Adelaide 12.11 (83)
Modra had been the pin-up boy for six seasons at West Lakes but, after missing the Crows' two premierships in 1997 and 1998, both player and club agreed it was best he move on. He had to wait until round 11 of the 1999 season for a chance to show former coach Malcolm Blight he had been wrong to overlook him in the previous season's grand final. Modra claimed some revenge, kicking 4.3 in Freo's 39-point win.
LEIGH COLBERT
Original club: Geelong (105 games)
Club he moved to: North Melbourne
First match against original club: round four, 2000 at Etihad Stadium
Score: North Melbourne 15.14 (104) d Geelong 15.9 (99)
It was round four but it was Colbert's first senior game for the Roos. He had been captain at Geelong, but after missing all of 1999 to a knee reconstruction, he departed for Arden Street. Colbert did his hamstring in the warm-up - he still played the first half, but missed the next six.
AARON HAMILL
Original club: Carlton (92 games)
Club he moved to: St Kilda
First match against original club: round five, 2001 at Princes Park
Score: Carlton 17.23 (125) d St Kilda 14.8 (92)
Hamill had to summon all of his much-vaunted courage the day he first returned to Princes Park. The Blues thought Hamill owed them, not only for the faith first shown but also for appealing a tribunal decision that helped him play in the 1999 grand final. Carlton fans got what they wanted, with the home side storming away in the last quarter to win and their former champ restricted to a single goal for the Saints.
WAYNE CAREY
Original club: North Melbourne (244 games)
Club he moved to: Adelaide
First match against original club: round six, 2003 at Etihad Stadium
Score: Adelaide 19.10 (124) d North Melbourne 9.16 (70)
A far bigger crowd (38,469) than you would expect for North Melbourne playing a non-Victorian team made its way to Docklands for the King's return. He fronted up to Glenn Archer - who feigned a punch - and kicked a goal with his first touch. Had four goals from just seven touches.
NATHAN BROWN
Original club: Western Bulldogs (137 games)
Club he moved to: Richmond
First match against original club: round eight, 2004 at the MCG
Score: Richmond 15.15 (105) d Western Bulldogs 10.22 (82)
After seven seasons at Whitten Oval and with his career about to hit full bloom, Brown up and left the Dogs following a cashed-up offer from Tigerland. The defection was not taken well by the sons of the west, and it got even worse when Brown turned on a show against his old side in front of 33,960 fans at the MCG. He collected 30 disposals, booted three goals and picked up two Brownlow votes on his way to leading Richmond to a 23-point win over a horribly-inaccurate Bulldogs side.
JASON AKERMANIS
Original club: Brisbane Lions (248 games)
Club he moved to: Western Bulldogs
First match against original club: round 11, 2007 at the Gabba
Score: Western Bulldogs 13.17 (95) d Brisbane Lions 10.12 (72)
An emotional return to the Gabba for Akermanis, who had been dropped for the last couple of months of the previous season because the leadership group had suspicions about his loyalty. He kicked a couple of goals at the end that put the result beyond doubt.
STEVEN KING
Original club: Geelong (193 games)
Club he moved to: St Kilda
First match against original club: round four, 2008 at Etihad Stadium
Score: Geelong 21.10 (136) d St Kilda 13.16 (94)
The build-up to King's first match against the Cats wasn't so much about how the former Geelong captain would be received by his former club, but more about the feeling between King and opposite number Mark Blake. King had replaced the unlucky Blake in the 2007 grand final side, and Blake hadn't taken his omission well. Just days after the win the Cats, with an eye to the future, had traded the popular King to the Saints. While the Saints lost on the day, King had 17 disposals and 23 hit-outs in an impressive display.
CHRIS JUDD
Original club: West Coast Eagles (134 games)
Club he moved to: Carlton
First match against original club: round seven, 2008 at Subiaco Oval
Score: Carlton 17.9 (111) d West Coast 10.14 (74)
Over 40,000 people witnessed the return of Judd to the oval he reigned over for so long. A decent game from Judd, but the best memory of the night was when he was asked about his (previously) troublesome shoulders by tagger Adam Selwood, and he replied that they were pretty good given how long he'd carried the Eagles on them.
Watch how the players fared in their first matches against their former clubs.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
