Midfield recruit Bryce Gibbs takes the No. 6 jumper that has proven too heavy for others at Adelaide Crows

BRYCE Gibbs will take up the No. 6 Adelaide Crows jumper left behind by Jake Lever — and made famous by Tony Modra.

Crows recruits Bryce Gibbs, rights, moves from the No. 4 jumper he wore at Carlton to No. 6 at Adelaide and Sam Gibson advances from No. 43 at North Melbourne to No. 20 with the Crows. Picture: Scott Barbour (Getty Images)

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BRYCE Gibbs clearly is not superstitious.

The Crows midfield recruit is taking up the No. 6 jumper made famous at Adelaide by goalkicking hero Tony Modra — and not filled with fortune since Modra’s forced exit in 1998.

Gibbs moves from the No. 4 jumper he wore in 231 AFL games with Carlton to accept the No. 6 jumper he remembers cheering when Modra was regularly contending for AFL “Mark of the Year” awards and scoring a club record 440 goals from 1992-98.

Gibbs opted for No. 6 despite the Crows having three famous guernseys carried by Hall of Famers still to fill — 32 (as worn by Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto), 23 (Norm Smith Medallist Andrew McLeod) and 36 (former captain Simon Goodwin).

The No. 6 jumper was left behind by young defender Jake Lever in his defection to Melbourne during the recent AFL trade period.

And the No. 6 is noted to either be too heavy to carry since 1999 or worn by players who have followed Modra’s path away from West Lakes, such as Jack Gunston to Hawthorn and Lever to the Demons.

Crows superstar and former No. 6 Tony Modra shows his trademark flying capabilities.

Bryce Gibbs soars for a mark for Carlton.

Since Modra was traded to Fremantle at the end of 1998, the No. 6 jumper has been worn by James Byrne, Ben Nelson, Fergus Watts, Jonathon Griffin, Gunston, Luke Thompson and Lever.

This has led inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes to question if the No. 6 jumper is “cursed” in response to Adelaide premiership coach Malcolm Blight banishing Modra from West Lakes at the end of 1998 when he was traded to Fremantle.

Adelaide’s other gain in the recent trade period, experienced North Melbourne midfielder Sam Gibson, will take the No. 20 jumper vacated by upgraded rookie-listed midfielder Hugh Greenwood.

Gibson wore No. 43 in his 130 AFL games as a Kangaroo.

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