AFL club numbers: New recruits allocated jumpers to create their own piece of history
Kade Simpson wore the No. 6 guernsey for 342 games at Carlton. Now, the club has passed on his jumper to a new owner in 2021. Find out who.
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Carlton boom recruit Zac Williams will don the No.6 jumper this season, taking over Kade Simpson’s old locker at Princes Park.
Simpson had held the No.6 for 18 seasons before retiring after 342 games in navy blue at the end of last year, with the Blues deciding to put the number straight back in service and hand it to former Greater Western Sydney defender Williams.
The jumper has also been worn by Bob Chitty and Garry Crane at the Blues.
Fellow trade acquisition Adam Saad has been handed the No.42 at Carlton, the same number he wore at both Essendon and Gold Coast Suns.
Former Geelong midfielder Lachie Fogarty will wear No.8 this season, following in the footsteps of Matthew Kreuzer (2008-2020) and Lance Whitnall (1997-2007).
Draftees Jack Carroll (No.16), Luke Parks (No.26) and Corey Durdin (No.29) have also received their new jumper numbers.
LIONS ADDITIONS SCORE FAMOUS NUMBERS
Brisbane Lions recruit Joe Daniher has inherited the club’s famous guernsey No.3 for his debut season in Queensland.
The former Bombers’ forward will don the number worn by triple premiership captain Michael Voss during Brisbane’s flag dynasty.
Voss carried the number for 283 games across his career, including his 1996 Brownlow Medal win and five club best and fairests.
Before Voss, former Lions Gary Pert and his father, Brian, also wore the number three for Fitzroy.
Daniher inherits the No.3 from the retired Allen Christensen, who wore it in 68 games for the Lions.
The 26-year-old moved to the Lions from Essendon in the off-season after three years of injury interrupted football. He played 108 games for the Bombers.
Fellow recruit and former Cat Nakia Cockatoo will wear the No.12 which showman Jason Akermanis wore in 210 games for the Lions.
Cockatoo inherits the number from ruckman Stefan Martin, who has crossed to the Western Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, new Tiger cub Maurice Rioli Jr will wear No.49 in his first season at Punt Road.
The 18-year-old small forward will wear the number his famous father Maurice Rioli Snr wore throughout his WAFL career at South Fremantle, where he played 168 games.
Richmond legend Maurice Rioli Snr wore No.17 and then No.27 during his 118-game career at the Tigers.
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Rioli Jnr’s nephew Daniel Rioli currently wears No.17 at the Tigers while Thomas Dow wears No.27.
Richmond draftee Samson Ryan will wear No.32.
Category B rookie Mate Colina will take jumper No.39 after Jake Aarts changed to No.16 for season 2021.
DEMONS: NEW CLUB, OLD DIGS FOR BROWN
Plenty has changed for new Demon Ben Brown, but there will be at least one constant next year.
The former North Melbourne spearhead, who was one of the highest-profile players traded post-season, will keep the No.50 on his back at his second club.
It will be the first time any Demon has worn the number since defender Neville Jetta switched for one round in 2017 as part of an Indigenous recognition campaign.
Brown was the sole player to kick 60 or more goals each season between 2017 and 2019, but managed only eight goals in nine matches this year – including being dropped – before a season-ending knee injury.
There isn’t an extensive history for the No.50 at Melbourne, with Shane McSpeerin wearing it in a club-most 12 matches.
Brett Lovett wore the number in the first eight of his 235 games for the Demons before switching to his more familiar No.17, which top draftee Jake Bowey has adopted for 2021.
Fellow newcomers Bailey Laurie (16) and Fraser Rosman (19) have also had their numbers confirmed, while Marty Hore has moved from No.34 to 21.
GIANTS: INCLUSIVE GUERNSEY REVEALS
Greater Western Sydney has revealed its jumper numbers for 2021 as “one club” – releasing the guernseys for both its men’s and women’s team at the same time.
In a “one club, one reveal” moment, the Giants have handed out their playing numbers for next year, revealing their first pick in the AFLW draft, Queanbeyan tall winger Tarni Evans, will wear No. 18 next season, and their first pick in the AFL draft, Victorian midfielder Tanner Bruhn, will don the No.5 (vacated by Jye Caldwell who was traded to Essendon).
Evans, who arrived at the Giants via pick No. 9 in October’s AFLW draft, will wear No. 18, as will new utility Conor Stone, who was taken at pick 15 in December’s AFL draft.
The No. 18 jumper is one of the most well-known in GWS history, after Jeremy Cameron wore it for his nine seasons and 171 games for the Giants.
Meanwhile, Jesse Hogan, who was traded to GWS from Fremantle, will take over Heath Shaw’s No. 23 playing guernsey.
The new jumper numbers for the Giants in 2021 are: 4 (AFLW) – Katherine Smith, 5 (AFL) – Tanner Bruhn, 9 (AFL) – Ryan Angwin, 10 (AFL) – Jacob Wehr, 11 (AFL) – Braydon Preuss, 15 (AFLW) – Brid Stack, 18 (AFLW) – Tarni Evans, 23 (AFL) – Jesse Hogan, 25 (AFLW) – Erin Todd, 29 (AFL) – Cameron Fleeton, 33 (AFLW) – Emily Pease, 35 (AFL) – Will Shaw,
37 (AFLW) – Libby Graham.
BULLDOGS: TRELOAR THE NUMERO UNO
Western Bulldogs star recruit Adam Treloar has been handed the first jumper off the pile by his new club — and it comes with a moderate track record.
Treloar will wear No.1 next year, while the club’s No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has been given No.22 — a jumper made available by Sam Lloyd’s retirement this week.
Treloar can largely create a new identity for the No. 1 at Whitten Oval as it has not been a well-worn guernsey in recent history. To the outside it has almost been cursed.
Few players hit 100 games in the number, including a short-lived cameo by ex-Saint Nicky Winmar — 21 games in 1999 — and it proved unlucky for Matt Suckling in 2016 who was named emergency for the drought-breaking premiership side.
TaSuckling played 76 games, previous No.1 Jarrad Grant played 81, while Farren Ray managed 75.
In the past, four Dogs cracked the ton in the jumper — Allan Hopkins (151 games), Jim Thomas (120), Andrew Purser (112) and Ian Hampshire (111).
The Dogs handed out new numbers for all their six off-season recruits this week — Treloar (No. 1), Ugle-Hagan (No. 22), Stefan Martin has been handed No. 8, Mitch Hannan inherits retired premiership hero Tory Dickson’s No. 29, while draftees Dominic Bedendo and Lachlan McNeil have been given numbers 26 and 30 respectively.
KANGAROOS: BIG BOOMER BOOTS TO FILL
There was a long line to the property stewards department at Arden St this week as 11 Kangaroo recruits were allocated their new jumpers for season 2021.
As revealed on draft night, young gun Will Phillips will wear the No.29 made famous by AFL games record holder and club legend Brent “Boomer” Harvey.
“It’s an absolute honour and it’s big shoes to fill, but no doubt he’ll be with me every step of the way because he works with the first and second year players pretty closely,” Phillips said.
Prized recruit and ex-Giant Aidan Corr slots into the departed Shaun Higgins’ No. 4 — a jumper associated with club greats Ross Glendinning, Sam Kekovich and Mick Martyn.
Jaidyn Stephenson will follow in the footsteps of Wayne Schwass, Noel Teasdale and Kevin Dynon who all wore No. 2 for North Melbourne.
Ex-Collingwood youngster Atu Bosenavulagi might have to brush up on his 70m torpedoes and a penchant for the spectacular now that he takes on No. 15, the jumper worn by the club’s 1978 Brownlow medallist Malcolm Blight.
Other jumpers handed to new recruits were: Lachie Young (No. 17), Charlie Lazzaro (No. 35), Jack Mahoney (No. 1), Tom Powell (No. 24), Phoenix Spicer (No. 36), Eddie Ford (No. 40), Connor Menadue (No. 31), Curtis Taylor is switching to No. 5, while Tasmanian draftee Patrick Walker gets No. 33.
CATS: CAMERON TAKES LEGENDARY NO.5
No pressure, Jeremy Cameron and Shaun Higgins — you’ve just been handed numbers linked to the Geelong’s greatest ever players.
As reported in the Herald Sun on Tuesday, Cameron has asked for the No. 5 worn by Gary Ablett Sr and another club legend Graham “Polly” Farmer.
He even took a history lesson from former Cat Stevie Johnson to better verse himself in the deeds of those who have gone before him.
Only two players have worn the No.5 since Ablett Sr’s 1997 retirement — Travis Varcoe and Nakia Cockatoo — so Cameron has massive boots to fill.
Ex-Kangaroos Shaun Higgins replaces the retired Gary Ablett Jr in No.4.
The Little Master started out in No. 29 at Geelong and wore it in 192 game before joining Gold Coast. He opted to take No. 4 on his return in 2018 as a tribute to his friend and premiership teammate Andrew Mackie.
Isaac Smith has No. 7, previously worn by Harry Taylor, while draftees Max Holmes inherits No. 9, Shannon Neale has No. 33, Nick Stevens No. 21 and Paul Tsapatolis will grace the No. 36.
CROWS: SMART MOVE FOR TOP PICK
Top draft pick Riley Thilthorpe has been given the No.7 guernsey by Adelaide.
Thilthorpe, the No. 2 pick in last week’s draft, has been given the guernsey previously worn by dual-premiership Crows player Nigel Smart and former club captain Nathan van Berlo following the delisting of Jordan Gallucci.
Jackson Hately takes the No. 6 jumper, previously worn by Tony Modra, and the Crows will be hoping the recruit from GWS’ time at the club fares better wearing the guernsey than the last couple of players who have donned it — Jack Gunston, Jake Lever and Bryce Gibbs.
Ben Keays has taken up the No. 2 jumper following Brad Crouch’s departure, while young utility Fischer McAsey moves to No. 3 — a guernsey worn by club greats such as Darren Jarman and Brent Reilly.
James Rowe will wear the No. 31 guernsey, Luke Pedlar has been given No. 10, Brayden Cook No. 15, Mitch Hinge No. 20, Sam Berry 21, James Borlase No. 35 and Tariek Newchurch No. 42.
SWANS: LOGAN GRABS NO.6
The Swans’ top draft pick Logan McDonald will don the No.6 jumper next season.
The number was last worn by Jackson Thurlow, who was delisted at the end of last season, and previously by champions Craig Bolton and Andrew Dunkley.
Academy guns Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden will wear 16 and 21 next season respectively.
Other new numbers include rookie Malachy Carruthers (40), Category B Rookie Marc Sheather (33), ruck recruit Tom Hickey (31), and Joel Amartey (36), the number which Aliir Aliir wore for his 64 games at the Swans.
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