Jason Behrendorff: As Melbourne move looms, here’s eight other WA greats who looked strange in rival colours

As Jason Behrendorff gets set to sport new colours after more than a decade as a WA favourite, we look back at eight other long-time West Aussies who made a similar move. Shaun Marsh & Brad Hogg Behrendorff isn’t the first WA cricket stalwart to be poached by the Renegades, with the club pulling off similar recruiting moves for Marsh and Hogg. Marsh joined the ‘Gades in 2019 - almost two whole decades after beginning his WA career - and spent five seasons in red. It followed a surprise swap two years earlier from fellow born-and-bred West Aussie Hogg, who had been the heart and soul of the Scorchers in their early BBL years before heading east at the grand old age of 45. James Crawford After 371 games in 13 seasons with the Perth Wildcats, Crawford retired as one of the club’s greatest-ever players. But what some ‘Cats fans may have forgotten is that the WA club wasn’t the last stop in the distinguished NBL career of the ‘Alabama Slammer’. Having hung up his Wildcats singlet in 1999, Crawford answered an SOS from Cal Bruton to come out of retirement in 2003 and make a string of cameo appearances for the Canberra Cannons in what would be the last NBL season for the ailing foundation club. Ben Cousins We all know the events that led up to Cousins’ departure from West Coast, but it was still a serious adjustment for footy fans to see him in different colours to open the 2009 season. The former Eagles skipper showed he still had plenty in the tank as he scrapped with some ex-teammates on his way to an equal game-high 28 disposals for Richmond in his first trip back to Subiaco Oval to face West Coast. It came amid a warm ovation from some blue-and-gold fans as one of the highlights of his 32-match career with the Tigers. Ryan Crowley Crowley was another who made an emotional return back to Subiaco Oval to face his former club - but it would turn out to be his final AFL game. The long-time Dockers tagger received a career lifeline after exiting Freo in 2015, earning a shot at Essendon to help the club overcome the absence of 12 of their best players due to the supplements saga. Crowley pinged his hamstring in the dying stages of a heavy loss, but received a standing ovation from the Freo faithful in touching scenes as he walked off. Caitlin Bassett Having started her career as a teenager with the Perth Orioles in 2005, Bassett rose to become the face of the newly-badged West Coast Fever on her way to developing into one of world netball’s best goalshooters. So Fever fans were left stunned when the local product announced she was heading east to join expansion club Sunshine Coast after more than a decade as a pro in WA. The shift was a success for Bassett, who snared a grand final MVP nod in 2018 as part of back-to-back premierships with the Lightning. Pek Cowan Only Matt Hodgson has played more games for the Western Force than fan favourite Cowan, who made 135 appearances between 2006 and 2020. But there would be one last Super Rugby cameo for the prop in 2021 as he joined the NSW Waratahs squad for a single game in a different shade of blue. Nicole Bolton Like the aforementioned Marsh and Bassett, Bolton was a local product who debuted for WA as a teenager in 2004-05 and quickly became a stalwart. And for two final seasons at the end of a superb career that saw her rise to international ranks, Bolton switched from the Scorchers to the Sydney Sixers across the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Bolton struck 32 off 27 in her last WBBL match but couldn’t lift the Sixers to victory in the final.