01 Dermott Brereton: Hawthorn to Sydney and Collingwood

The fearless blond centre half-forward was instrumental in the Hawks' dominance between 1983-91, becoming, as we hear so often, a five-time day and five-time night premiership star. But by the end of 1992, the battering Brereton had given his body had taken its toll. He didn't manage a game at all in 1993 and was forced out because of salary cap reasons.  He unwisely entered the draft and was snared by the struggling Swans. But a pair of suspensions, each for seven weeks, and poor form had him cut after one year. The Magpies threw him a lifeline and, while his 15 games there were serviceable, his career finally ended after the '95 campaign.

02 Warwick Capper: Sydney to Brisbane to Sydney

The blond, high-flying full-forward with the very tight shorts, white boots and short singing career was the pin-up boy during the short-lived glitzy era under Dr Geoffrey Edelstein. He kicked 103 goals in 1987 and twice finished runner-up in the Coleman medal. But seduced by a three-year, $350,000 contract from then Brisbane Bears' owner Christopher Skase, Capper unwisely moved north in 1988. He managed just 34 games in three years there and struggled so badly that management was moved to sensationally over-rule coaching staff and insist he be played because of he was one of the few crowd-drawers in the team. He returned to the Swans in 1991 but his career was effectively over.

03 Ben Cousins: West Coast to Richmond

The Tigers had hoped the self-confessed drug addict would help guide the club back to the finals when he was controversially drafted in late 2008, but this gamble has only brought more off-field trouble and moderate, at best, on-field form. This week's club-imposed one-week ban for his part in a late-night bar session in Sydney at weekend could well spell the end of his career. It will be a sorry end for the dashing midfielder who was the pin-up boy of the Eagles for most of his 11 years there, winning a Brownlow Medal and guiding the club to the 2006 premiership. But his final years were marred by highly-publicised off-field trouble involving recreational drug use, criminal connections and traffic convictions. The Eagles belatedly took action and, finally, his contract was terminated in October, 2007. Two months later, he was banned for a year by the AFL for bringing the game into disrepute but was a thrown a life-line by the Tigers in time for the 2009 season, a chance he has wasted.

04 Terry Wallace: Hawthorn to Richmond

The man known as Plough was a key midfield cog of the Hawks' premiership teams of 1978, '83 and '86, and was a best-and-fairest winner in '81 and '83. A contractual dispute after the '86 season and concerns he would no longer be the No.1 centreman led him to join the Tigers, where he managed just the 11 games and ended his sole season there with a back injury. He would go on and reignite his career with the Western Bulldogs.

05 Wayne Carey: North Melbourne to Adelaide

Arguably the greatest player to have taken to the field, Carey was indeed "The King" during his 244-game career with the Kangaroos. He led North to premierships in 1996 and '99 and was a four-time best and fairest and seven-time All Australian. But an affair with the wife of teammate Anthony Stevens forced him out of the club in March 2002. After a 12-month absence from football, Carey joined the Crows, who had hoped he was the missing link to a third premiership. It wasn't to be, with back, neck and shoulder injuries curtailing his output and restricting him to 28 serviceable games before retiring in June, 2004.

06 Kelvin Templeton: Footscray to Melbourne

The champion forward played 143 games and kicked 494 goals for the Bulldogs, claiming the Coleman medal in 1978 and ‘79 and becoming the first forward to win the Brownlow (1980). He also led the Dogs' goal-kicking five times before injuries ruined his 1981 and '82 seasons. Despite this, he was snapped by the Demons who had launched a buying spree as part of coach Ron Barassi's ill-fated five-year rebuilding plan. Injuries persisted and Templeton managed only 34 games in three years for the Demons before retiring.

07 Geoff Raines: Collingwood to Essendon

Raines was one of the premier midfielders of the late 1970s, early 1980s and played 134 games with Richmond before he was poached by the Magpies for $200,000 and three players during a financially-crippling recruiting war between the two famous club. He played 45 games in three years with the Pies, showing enough for Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy to still believe he could help the Bombers continue their premiership run with a third-straight flag in 1986. Instead, Raines managed just 16 average games and, along with another high-profile recruit, former Magpie Mike Richardson, was told to look elsewhere after just one year. Both finished their careers with the Brisbane Bears.

08 Mick McGuane: Collingwood  to Carlton

McGuane was a premiership star with the Magpies in 1990 and one of the game's premier hard-running midfielders in the early 1990s, winning the club best and fairest in 1992 and '93. But by 1995, injuries, alcohol and off-field incidents had slowed him. He refused a two-year contract offer from the Pies and joined the Blues, desperate for a blue-chip midfielder, in 1997. It was a disastrous move for club and player. The Blues gave up first and fourth round picks in the national draft for McGuane, who managed just three games in his one year at Princes Park and was infamously involved in a fight with teammate Matthew Hogg at training.

09 Frank Marchesani: Fitzroy to Carlton

Blues' chairman Wes Lofts was obsessed with the tall, pacy wingman who had been the recruit of the year when with the Lions in 1980. After a protracted battle with the Lions, he was cleared to the Blues midway through 1981 - a move he may later have regretted. He managed just the three games that year before tearing his hamstring and sitting out the successful 1981 finals campaign. He also missed the 1982 flag and his career stalled from there, managing just 14 matches in 1983 before he was struck down by a serious lung infection. He didn't play a game in 1984 and, by the end of '85, a career that had promised so much was over.

10 Peter McKenna: Collingwood to Carlton

The dashing full-forward played 180 games with the Magpies between 1965-75, twice claiming the Coleman medal and becoming the league's first multi-media star. In '75, he suffered a serious kidney injury, ending his time with the Pies. He regained his confidence with a season with Devonport in Tasmania and had hoped to return to the Pies. Instead, his old club refused to spend big money on him, and he reluctantly joined the Blues. He managed just the 11 games, kicking 36 goals, and quickly knew his time was up.