Even though their primary purpose is that of a weapon, when quizzing the average layman about boomerangs, most would recognise these symbols of cultural endurance for their colloquial ability to return to their point of origin.
Apart from playing AFL football, each of the 10 names on this list have at least one thing in common – they all came back to their original clubs after spending time with another.
Although names like David Cloke and Warwick Capper completed their careers back at their first clubs and within the bounds of the AFL era, we have ruled them ineligible due to their peaks arising prior to 1990.
Like Elvis' love letters in the early sixties, these are the 10 best players that were returned to their senders.
8. Trent Croad
Hawthorn/Fremantle/Hawthorn
Although Trent Croad was taken by Hawthorn with the third overall pick of the 1997 draft, the Kiwi born swingman was gone from Glenferrie after just four seasons.
Desperate to land Luke Hodge, the Hawks sent Croad, as well as Luke McPharlin, to Fremantle in exchange for the first pick of the 2001 ‘Super Draft'.
Although history will tell us that selecting Hodge helped Hawthorn become the greatest team of the 21st century and that McPharlin retired a club great, Croad never settled in the west.
With Alistair Clarkson and the rest of the Hawthorn match committee understanding his potential, Croad returned to the club ahead of the 2004 season at the cost of another top 10 pick.
After mangling his foot early in the 2008 Grand Final, Croad was eventually forced into retirement at just 28, but not after he claimed All-Australian honours as a defender in 2005 and a premiership medallion.
