The fight for footy's famous numbers: Which players will get a new jumper in 2026?
From paying for dinners to giving up bottles of wine, desperate AFL players are going to extraordinary lengths to secure their dream guernsey numbers. But who will get their wish?
There are times it can cost a player a nice bottle of wine or a round of golf in the off-season, or occasionally a dinner at Rockpool or Nobu.
But rarely are the demands too expensive to prevent a desperate player from coughing up.
The fighting and politics in the change rooms for certain guernsey numbers is real, with some players caring more than others to don specific digits.
Whether it is a family connection, a junior guernsey or the number of an idol from a past era, some players will do anything to get their hands on them.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE LATEST DIGIT WHISPERS
And teammates know of the desperation, and some are happy to take advantage of that desperation.
The initial allocation of guernsey numbers differs from team to team.
Some clubs, like Hawthorn, will give the first choice of number upgrades to promising players already at the club.
Then the next numbers go to the trade and free agent recruits – with some leeway provided if they land a big fish.
Finally the dregs of the numbers go to their draft class; typically leftover numbers in the 30s and 40s.
But other clubs operate differently; Carlton prioritises its top-line draftees over its middle-list recruits or promoting from within.
Jagga Smith, the No. 3 draftee from last year, walked into the #7, rather than giving it to free agent recruit Nick Haynes or promoting a youngster like Cooper Lord (#36) or Jordan Boyd (#37).
Ollie Hollands started in the #14 but moved to #4 one season after he was drafted No. 11 overall, Jesse Motlop has only worn the #3 since he was drafted No. 27 overall, while No. 1 draftees Sam Walsh (#18) and Jacob Weitering (#23) were both given strong numbers from the jump.
Originally published as The fight for footy's famous numbers: Which players will get a new jumper in 2026?
‘I’m a midfielder’: Inside the Saints meeting that sent Steele to Dees
