Players Who Played for Brisbane and Essendon
13 players have played senior AFL for both Brisbane and Essendon since 1990, led by Joe Daniher (96 games for Brisbane Lions, 108 for Essendon). Here is every one, with games and seasons at each club.
13 players have played senior AFL for both Brisbane and Essendon since 1990, led by Joe Daniher (96 games for Brisbane Lions, 108 for Essendon).
- 1.Joe Daniher204 games
- Brisbane Lions 96 · 2021–2024
- Essendon 108 · 2013–2020
- 2.Mal Michael238 games
- Brisbane Lions 140 · 2001–2006
- Essendon 37 · 2007–2008
- Collingwood 61 · 1997–2000
- 3.Blake Caracella187 games
- Brisbane Lions 34 · 2003–2004
- Essendon 126 · 1997–2002
- Collingwood 27 · 2005–2006
- 4.Conor McKenna147 games
- Brisbane Lions 68 · 2023–2026
- Essendon 79 · 2015–2020
- 5.Matthew Leuenberger137 games
- Brisbane Lions 108 · 2007–2015
- Essendon 29 · 2016–2018
- 6.Josh Green105 games
- Brisbane Lions 81 · 2011–2016
- Essendon 24 · 2017–2018
- 7.Sam Draper102 games
- Brisbane Lions 24 · 2026
- Essendon 78 · 2020–2025
- 8.David Calthorpe114 games
- Brisbane Lions 9 · 1999
- Essendon 92 · 1992–1998
- North Melbourne 13 · 2000
- 9.James Polkinghorne101 games
- Brisbane Lions 94 · 2008–2014
- Essendon 7 · 2016
- 10.Tom Cutler96 games
- Brisbane Lions 66 · 2014–2019
- Essendon 30 · 2020–2022
- 11.Jaxon Prior84 games
- Brisbane Lions 39 · 2021–2024
- Essendon 45 · 2025–2026
- 12.Damian Cupido53 games
- Brisbane Lions 13 · 2000–2001
- Essendon 40 · 2003–2005
- 13.Sam Michael5 games
- Brisbane Lions 3 · 2013
- Essendon 2 · 2016
Senior games from 1990 on only. Players whose careers began earlier show their games since 1990.
At a glance
- 13 players have played senior AFL for both Brisbane and Essendon since 1990, led by Joe Daniher (96 games for Brisbane Lions, 108 for Essendon).
- Eight went from Brisbane to Essendon, and five the other way.
- Three of the 13 also played for at least one other club.
- The most recent of them to play for either club: Conor McKenna, Sam Draper and Jaxon Prior, in 2026.
- That ranks 28 of the 171 club pairings by shared players since 1990.
Checked 21 October 2026 · data as of 15 September 2026
Every player who played for both
| Player | Brisbane | Essendon | Other clubs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Daniher | 96 (2021–2024) | 108 (2013–2020) | – | 204 |
| Mal Michael | 140 (2001–2006) | 37 (2007–2008) | Collingwood 61 | 238 |
| Blake Caracella | 34 (2003–2004) | 126 (1997–2002) | Collingwood 27 | 187 |
| Conor McKenna | 68 (2023–2026) | 79 (2015–2020) | – | 147 |
| Matthew Leuenberger | 108 (2007–2015) | 29 (2016–2018) | – | 137 |
| Josh Green | 81 (2011–2016) | 24 (2017–2018) | – | 105 |
| Sam Draper | 24 (2026) | 78 (2020–2025) | – | 102 |
| David Calthorpe | 9 (1999) | 92 (1992–1998) | North Melbourne 13 | 114 |
| James Polkinghorne | 94 (2008–2014) | 7 (2016) | – | 101 |
| Tom Cutler | 66 (2014–2019) | 30 (2020–2022) | – | 96 |
| Jaxon Prior | 39 (2021–2024) | 45 (2025–2026) | – | 84 |
| Damian Cupido | 13 (2000–2001) | 40 (2003–2005) | – | 53 |
| Sam Michael | 3 (2013) | 2 (2016) | – | 5 |
Quick answers
- 13 players have played senior AFL for both Brisbane and Essendon since 1990, led by Joe Daniher (96 games for Brisbane Lions, 108 for Essendon). See the list→
- Of the players who played for both, Mal Michael played the most games for Brisbane Lions: 140. See the list→
- Of the players who played for both, Blake Caracella played the most games for Essendon: 126. See the list→
- Eight of them played for Brisbane first and five played for Essendon first. See the list→
- Three of the 13 also played for a third club. See the list→
- 334 players have played senior AFL for Brisbane since 1990, and 177 of them also played for another club. Open the tool→
- 304 players have played senior AFL for Essendon since 1990, and 135 of them also played for another club. Open the tool→
- Brisbane shares the most players with Collingwood: 21. See them→
- Essendon shares the most players with Richmond: 14. See them→
- Did Joe Daniher play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 96 games for Brisbane Lions (2021–2024) and 108 for Essendon (2013–2020). See the list→
- Did Mal Michael play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 140 games for Brisbane Lions (2001–2006) and 37 for Essendon (2007–2008). See the list→
- Did Blake Caracella play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 34 games for Brisbane Lions (2003–2004) and 126 for Essendon (1997–2002). See the list→
- Did Conor McKenna play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 68 games for Brisbane Lions (2023–2026) and 79 for Essendon (2015–2020). See the list→
- Did Matthew Leuenberger play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 108 games for Brisbane Lions (2007–2015) and 29 for Essendon (2016–2018). See the list→
- Did Josh Green play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 81 games for Brisbane Lions (2011–2016) and 24 for Essendon (2017–2018). See the list→
- Did Sam Draper play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 24 games for Brisbane Lions (2026) and 78 for Essendon (2020–2025). See the list→
- Did David Calthorpe play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 9 games for Brisbane Lions (1999) and 92 for Essendon (1992–1998). See the list→
- Did James Polkinghorne play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 94 games for Brisbane Lions (2008–2014) and 7 for Essendon (2016). See the list→
- Did Tom Cutler play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 66 games for Brisbane Lions (2014–2019) and 30 for Essendon (2020–2022). See the list→
- Did Jaxon Prior play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 39 games for Brisbane Lions (2021–2024) and 45 for Essendon (2025–2026). See the list→
- Did Damian Cupido play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 13 games for Brisbane Lions (2000–2001) and 40 for Essendon (2003–2005). See the list→
- Did Sam Michael play for Brisbane and Essendon? Yes: 3 games for Brisbane Lions (2013) and 2 for Essendon (2016). See the list→
More club pairings
Brisbane shares the most with
- Brisbane & Collingwood (21)
- Brisbane & Geelong (18)
- Brisbane & St Kilda (17)
- Brisbane & Fitzroy (15)
- Brisbane & Sydney (15)
Essendon shares the most with
Common questions
How many players have played for both Brisbane and Essendon?
13 players have played senior AFL for both Brisbane and Essendon since 1990, led by Joe Daniher (96 games for Brisbane Lions, 108 for Essendon).
What counts as playing for a club?
At least one senior AFL game for that club in 1990 or later. Games before 1990 are not counted, so a career that began in the 1980s shows only its games since 1990.
How up to date is it?
The data is as of 15 September 2026. Games and clubs are compiled from public records: AFL Tables season statistics and Wikipedia.
Sources
- Season player statistics, 1990 to 2026, from AFL Tables (afltables.com).
- Club and honour records from Wikipedia.
- Data as of 15 September 2026. Facts compiled from public records; no text is copied from either source.
Test yourself
Siren Rush pairs a club with a clue, like a player who also played for another club. Name one before the siren: any senior player since 1990 counts, and the fewer people who name your pick, the more it scores.
Play Siren RushOr draft today’s side