MELBOURNE has announced its guernsey numbers for 2016, with midfielder Clayton Oliver, its first pick in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft, given No.13.
The club confirmed all numbers, following last week’s NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
Tall forward Sam Weideman and key position player Liam Hulett have been given No.26 and No.27 respectively, and ruckman Mitch King has claimed No.34.
Rookie Josh Wagner will wear No.42 and the redrafted Viv Michie returns to No.22.
Oliver has claimed the number made famous at Melbourne by Adem Yze, who wore No.13 in most of his 271 matches – except his debut season. Yze sits behind only David Neitz (306 games) and Robert Flower (272) for the most games played at Melbourne.
The No.13 guernsey was also worn by cult figure, the mercurial Allen Jakovich, and most recently Jordie McKenzie, who played 79 matches for the club.
Weideman, the son of former Magpie Mark and grandson of two-time Collingwood premiership player Murray, will wear No.26. This was given to Christian Petracca for 2014, but due to injury, he didn’t play a game in it. Petracca has now moved to No.5.
Interestingly, three-time premiership player Ian Thorogood wore No.26, except in the 1958 Grand Final, when he wore No.20. That was the year Murray Weideman played in a premiership for Collingwood against Melbourne, helping deny the red and blue to a fourth consecutive flag. For the record, Melbourne won five flags from six seasons from 1955-60.
Greg Parke, a fine goalkicking key forward from 1968-73, also wore No.26 for Melbourne.
Hulett has inherited the ‘defender’ No.27 jumper, which was worn 150 times each by Sean Wight and Jared Rivers. Anthony Ingerson also played 127 games for the club in the jumper.
King will wear No.34 – the jumper worn 236 times at by another former Melbourne ruckman Jeff White.
And Wagner has gained No.42, after big man Jake Spencer opted for No.33 in 2016, following 36 games in No.42 from 2009-15.
Two numbers – No.38 and No.40 – are vacant next year, from No.1 (Jesse Hogan) to No.47 (Max King).
As previously announced, former Bomber Jake Melksham will wear No.18 in 2016, after the highly-respected Daniel Cross wore it in 2014-15. Cross, who retired at the end of last season, is now the club’s development and rehab coach.
Ex-Giant Tomas Bugg has claimed the No.32 jumper, which was vacant in 2015.
Two of Melbourne’s best players from the 2000s – Brad Green and Cameron Bruce – wore No.18 and No.32 respectively. Green (254 matches) and Bruce, who played 224 for the red and blue, have played the most games for Melbourne in those numbers.
Ben Kennedy, who crossed from Collingwood during the trade period, has taken No.35, which was not filled this year.
Dual Melbourne premiership captain Noel McMahen wore No.35 in his outstanding career. Melbourne Cricket Club chairman Steven Smith and 1981 best and fairest winner also wore No.35 for most of his career, before finishing in No.1.
Rookie Joel Smith has inherited No.44, which Rohan Bail wore for 70 of his 71 matches with the Demons from 2010-15. Bail holds the record for the most Melbourne matches in No.44. He also wore No.41 in his first game and only match in 2009.
Petracca has taken over No.5 from Jimmy Toumpas, who has switched to Port Adelaide. The No.5 jumper has been worn by distinguished club names such as Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott, Fred Fanning and David Schwarz.
Petracca, who is an avid NBA follower, requested No.5, so he could be close in initials and number to one of his NBA heroes Chris Paul (aka CP3), who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Will Petracca now be known as CP5?
2016 Melbourne numbers
1 – Jesse Hogan
2 – Nathan Jones
3 – Christian Salem
4 – Jack Watts
5 – Christian Petracca (has switched jumper numbers from No.26 to No.5)
6 – Chris Dawes
7 – Jack Viney
8 – Heritier Lumumba
9 – Jack Trengove
10 – Angus Brayshaw
11 – Max Gawn
12 – Dom Tyson
13 – Clayton Oliver (new player)
14 – Lynden Dunn
15 – Billy Stretch
16 – Dean Kent
17 – Sam Frost
18 – Jake Melksham (new player)
19 – Ben Newton
20 – Colin Garland
21 – Cameron Pedersen
22 – Viv Michie (regains No.22 after being redrafted)
23 – Bernie Vince
24 – Jay Kennedy-Harris
25 – Tom McDonald
26 – Sam Weideman (new player)
27 – Liam Hulett (new player)
28 – Oscar McDonald
29 – Jayden Hunt
30 – Alex Neal-Bullen
31 – Jack Grimes
32 – Tomas Bugg (new player)
33 – Jake Spencer (has switched jumper numbers from No.42 to No.33)
34 – Mitch King (new player)
35 – Ben Kennedy (new player)
36 – Jeff Garlett
37 – Aaron Vandenberg
38 –
39 – Neville Jetta
40 –
41 – Mitchell White
42 – Josh Wagner (new player)
43 – James Harmes
44 – Joel Smith (new player)
45 – Matt Jones
46 – Dean Terlich
47 – Max King
