CAPTAINS: St Kilda's Jarryn Geary and Geelong's Joel Selwood. Geary is skippering the Saints for the first season; Selwood is leading the Cats for the sixth.

TWO captains are among the 19 players on AFL lists this year who have been drafted out of Bendigo teams.

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The 2017 AFL season kicks off on Thursday night when Carlton and Richmond clash at the MCG.

Among this year’s listed players are 19 whose path to the AFL included stints with either the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup or the former Bendigo Bombers in the VFL.

Ten of the 18 AFL clubs have players who have been drafted from Bendigo teams, including the reigning premier Western Bulldogs that have seven.

ON THE BURST: Star Richmond midfielder Dustin Martin. Martin - originally from Castlemaine - is in his eighth season with the Tigers. Pictures: GETTY IMAGES

Among them is Maryborough’s Stewart Crameri, who returns to football this season after serving his ban last year following the Essendon supplements saga.

Crameri is closing in on the 100-game milestone having played 57 games at Essendon and 40 since joining the Bulldogs.

Former Pioneers Joel Selwood (Geelong) and Jarryn Geary (St Kilda) are both captains of their clubs.

Geary – who has risen through the ranks from St Kilda rookie – has taken over as Saints’ skipper from Nick Riewoldt, while Selwood is preparing for his sixth season as Cats’ captain.

WELCOME BACK: Western Bulldogs' forward Stewart Crameri makes his return to AFL football after serving his ban last year following the Essendon supplements saga.

They will toss the coin against each other in round five at Etihad Stadium on April 23 when the Cats take on the Saints.

Collingwood’s Kayle Kirby, Essendon’s Kobe Mutch, Port Adelaide’s Joseph Atley and the Western Bulldogs’ Fergus Greene are all preparing for their first seasons after being drafted from the Pioneers last year.

• 2017 AFL-listed players drafted out of Bendigo teams:

CARLTON – Sam Kerridge (48 games).

COLLINGWOOD – Kayle Kirby (first year).

ESSENDON – Kobe Mutch (first year).

GEELONG – Joel Selwood (228), Scott Selwood (140).

NORTH MELBOURNE – Robbie Tarrant (84).

PORT ADELAIDE – Ollie Wines (84), Aidyn Johnson (0), Joseph Atley (first year).

RICHMOND – Dustin Martin (153).

ST KILDA – Jarryn Geary (141).

WEST COAST – Tom Cole (2).

WESTERN BULLDOGS – Jake Stringer (73), Fergus Greene (first year), Stewart Crameri (97), Tory Dickson (79), Shane Biggs (42), Tom Campbell (35), Jack Redpath (25).

……………………………..

• Round 1 games:

Thursday:

Carlton v Richmond

Friday:

Collingwood v Bulldogs

Saturday:

St Kilda v Melbourne

Sydney v Port Adelaide

Essendon v Hawthorn

Gold Coast v Brisbane

Sunday: