Players Who Played for Essendon and Sydney

11 players have played senior AFL for both Essendon and Sydney since 1990, led by Ted Richards (33 games for Essendon, 228 for Sydney). Here is every one, with games and seasons at each club.

Most clubs

First clubSecond club

11 players have played senior AFL for both Essendon and Sydney since 1990, led by Ted Richards (33 games for Essendon, 228 for Sydney).

1.Ted Richards261 games
- Essendon 33 · 2002–2005
- Sydney 228 · 2006–2016
2.Craig Bird157 games
- Essendon 20 · 2016–2017
- Sydney 137 · 2008–2015
3.Derek Kickett140 games
- Essendon 77 · 1990–1993
- Sydney 63 · 1994–1996
4.Ben Doolan101 games
- Essendon 76 · 1994–1999
- Sydney 25 · 1991–1992
5.Ryan OConnor87 games
- Essendon 63 · 1994–1998
- Sydney 24 · 1999–2000
6.Aaron Francis84 games
- Essendon 54 · 2016–2022
- Sydney 30 · 2023–2025
7.Peter Filandia83 games
- Essendon 13 · 1991–1992
- Sydney 70 · 1994, 1996–2000
8.Craig OBrien112 games
- Essendon 19 · 1990–1991
- Sydney 41 · 1996–2000
- St Kilda 52 · 1993–1995
9.Michael Werner48 games
- Essendon 28 · 1990–1992
- Sydney 20 · 1993–1994
10.Ed Considine43 games
- Essendon 15 · 1990–1992
- Sydney 28 · 1993–1995
11.Andrew Bomford28 games
- Essendon 13 · 1997–1998
- Sydney 15 · 1999–2000

Senior games from 1990 on only. Players whose careers began earlier show their games since 1990.

At a glance

11 players have played senior AFL for both Essendon and Sydney since 1990, led by Ted Richards (33 games for Essendon, 228 for Sydney).
Nine went from Essendon to Sydney, and two the other way.
One of the 11 also played for at least one other club.
The most recent of them to play for either club: Aaron Francis, in 2025.
That ranks 55 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

11 players, most games for the two clubs first. Games and seasons are from 1990 on.
Player	Essendon	Sydney	Other clubs	Total
Ted Richards	33 (2002–2005)	228 (2006–2016)	–	261
Craig Bird	20 (2016–2017)	137 (2008–2015)	–	157
Derek Kickett^†	77 (1990–1993)	63 (1994–1996)	–	140
Ben Doolan	76 (1994–1999)	25 (1991–1992)	–	101
Ryan OConnor	63 (1994–1998)	24 (1999–2000)	–	87
Aaron Francis	54 (2016–2022)	30 (2023–2025)	–	84
Peter Filandia	13 (1991–1992)	70 (1994, 1996–2000)	–	83
Craig OBrien^†	19 (1990–1991)	41 (1996–2000)	St Kilda 52	112
Michael Werner^†	28 (1990–1992)	20 (1993–1994)	–	48
Ed Considine^†	15 (1990–1992)	28 (1993–1995)	–	43
Andrew Bomford	13 (1997–1998)	15 (1999–2000)	–	28

† Career began before 1990: earlier games are not counted.

Quick answers

11 players have played senior AFL for both Essendon and Sydney since 1990, led by Ted Richards (33 games for Essendon, 228 for Sydney). See the list→
Of the players who played for both, Derek Kickett played the most games for Essendon: 77. See the list→
Of the players who played for both, Ted Richards played the most games for Sydney: 228. See the list→
Nine of them played for Essendon first and two played for Sydney first. See the list→
One of the 11 also played for a third club. See the list→
304 players have played senior AFL for Essendon since 1990, and 135 of them also played for another club. Open the tool→
313 players have played senior AFL for Sydney since 1990, and 163 of them also played for another club. Open the tool→
Essendon shares the most players with Richmond: 14. See them→
Sydney shares the most players with Collingwood: 23. See them→
Did Ted Richards play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 33 games for Essendon (2002–2005) and 228 for Sydney (2006–2016). See the list→
Did Craig Bird play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 20 games for Essendon (2016–2017) and 137 for Sydney (2008–2015). See the list→
Did Derek Kickett play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 77 games for Essendon (1990–1993) and 63 for Sydney (1994–1996). See the list→
Did Ben Doolan play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 76 games for Essendon (1994–1999) and 25 for Sydney (1991–1992). See the list→
Did Ryan OConnor play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 63 games for Essendon (1994–1998) and 24 for Sydney (1999–2000). See the list→
Did Aaron Francis play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 54 games for Essendon (2016–2022) and 30 for Sydney (2023–2025). See the list→
Did Peter Filandia play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 13 games for Essendon (1991–1992) and 70 for Sydney (1994, 1996–2000). See the list→
Did Craig OBrien play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 19 games for Essendon (1990–1991) and 41 for Sydney (1996–2000). See the list→
Did Michael Werner play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 28 games for Essendon (1990–1992) and 20 for Sydney (1993–1994). See the list→
Did Ed Considine play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 15 games for Essendon (1990–1992) and 28 for Sydney (1993–1995). See the list→
Did Andrew Bomford play for Essendon and Sydney? Yes: 13 games for Essendon (1997–1998) and 15 for Sydney (1999–2000). See the list→

Essendon shares the most with

Sydney shares the most with

All club pairings and the most-clubs list →

Common questions

How many players have played for both Essendon and Sydney?

11 players have played senior AFL for both Essendon and Sydney since 1990, led by Ted Richards (33 games for Essendon, 228 for Sydney).

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 Rush Or draft today’s side