June 30, 1978: Ben Cousins born in Geelong, Victoria

September 8, 1983: Chris Judd born in Melbourne, Victoria

1995: Despite a childhood dream to play for Geelong – like his father, Bryan – Cousins is drafted by West Coast under the father-son rule

Round four, 1996: Ironically, 17-year-old Cousins makes his debut against Geelong, collecting 14 touches and kicking two goals from a half-forward flank

1996: Cousins wins the AFL's Rising Star award from then-Sydney Swan Shannon Grant

1998: Cousins wins his first of six All-Australian guernseys and finishes second in West Coast's club champion award

2001: Cousins is named West Coast's co-captain with Dean Kemp and, later that year, wins his first club champion award

2001: Judd, a skinny kid from Sandringham Dragons with a history of shoulder injuries, is drafted to West Coast behind Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) and Luke Ball (St Kilda)

Round one, 2002: Judd isn’t selected for West Coast and so plays for East Perth, where he kicks four goals. At the post-match function, members are told to treasure the experience of seeing the future star play for the Royals as, "it will never happen again, he’s too good"

Round two, 2002: Judd makes his debut for the Eagles against Collingwood and his 19 disposals, four tackles and a goal earn him a Rising Star nomination. He plays the rest of the season's 21 matches

2003: Cousins wins his third-straight club champion award and re-signs on a reduced salary so the club can retain Judd, who is already being mooted for a return to Melbourne

2004: Judd becomes the first Eagle to win the Brownlow Medal and ends Cousins' run at club level with his first best-and-fairest gong. He also earns his first All-Australian guernsey

2005: After a turbulent year that included several police interviews, Cousins wins the Brownlow Medal and AFLPA MVP award. Despite West Coast’s loss to the Sydney Swans in the grand final, Judd claims the Norm Smith Medal as best afield

February, 2006: Cousins runs from a police booze bus and swims across Perth's Swan River to escape. West Coast strips him of the captaincy and hands it to Judd, who states that Cousins is still the club's spiritual leader

September, 2006: The Eagles beat the Swans for their first flag since 1994. Coach John Worsfold and Judd, named AFLPA MVP early in the month, welcome Cousins up to the dais to hold the cup. Judd wins his second club champion award a week later

March, 2007: Cousins is suspended by West Coast indefinitely after failing to attend training and subsequently checks into a drug rehabilitation clinic in the USA

July, 2007: Cousins returns to AFL level with a 38-possession game against the Sydney Swans at Subiaco Oval

September, 2007: Cousins tears his hamstring during West Coast’s qualifying final against Port Adelaide, a match that also turns out to be Judd's last for the club

October, 2007: Judd is traded to club of choice Carlton along with draft pick No. 46. West Coast does the best it can out of the deal, receiving picks three and 20 as well as emerging key forward Josh Kennedy

November, 2007: Cousins is delisted by the Eagles after his arrest in Northbridge and, even though drug-related charges are dropped, the AFL charges him with bringing the game into disrepute. The League later suspends him from the elite level for 12 months

February, 2008: Four months after joining the Blues, Judd replaces Lance Whitnall as captain

March, 2008: Judd recovers from off-season groin surgery to make his debut for Carlton against Richmond in round one

September, 2008: Judd wins his third All-Australian guernsey and is named captain of the star-studded team. He also claims Carlton's best and fairest award

November, 2008: The AFL re-registers a rehabilitated Cousins, but imposes significant conditions on his return including regular drug testing

December, 2008: Rejected by Collingwood, St Kilda and then every other club in November's NAB AFL Draft, Cousins is selected by Richmond with the final pick of the pre-season pool

February, 2009: Cousins makes his senior football comeback in the Tigers' NAB Cup quarter-final against Collingwood. He collects 21 touches but suffers concussion, which sends him to hospital later that night

March, 2009: Cousins and Judd prepare to face off at the MCG in the opening game of the 2009 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

Dream Team watch – Ben Cousins is rated a $364,000 midfielder in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009

Chris Judd is rated a $378,600 midfielder in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009