THE No.18 and No.23 jumpers – worn with distinction for much of the 2000s by former skippers Brad Green and James McDonald respectively – will be back in action in 2014, with best and fairest winners Daniel Cross and Bernie Vince.
Mature age recruit Cross, who started in the No.38 jumper and later wore the No.4 with distinction at the Bulldogs, has been handed the No.18 guernsey. This was previously worn by Green, who donned it from 2000-12. It was vacant in 2013.
Ex-Adelaide star Vince has been given No.23, after wearing No.17 with the Crows. Former Melbourne defender Josh Tynan had No.23 in 2013, but did not play a match in the jumper. He played his two matches for the Demons in No.46. The most recent player to wear No.23 for Melbourne was McDonald in 2010.
Ex-Greater Western Sydney midfielder Dom Tyson has been given No.12, which was worn by Colin Sylvia, who crossed to Fremantle as an unrestricted free agent in October, from 2004-13.
Former Fremantle midfielder Viv Michie will wear No.22, which was worn last by recently delisted Demon James Magner.
Another former Crow, midfielder Aidan Riley, has been given No.27, which was worn by ex-Demon defender Tom Gillies in 2013.
Defender Mitch Clisby has gone from wearing No.50 – the highest number on Melbourne’s list in 2013 – to No.15, which was worn by David Rodan, who retired at the end of the 2013 season.
Forward Dean Kent, who wore No.34 in his first season in 2013, has been given No.16, which was last worn by Jack Grimes in 2012. Grimes was given No.31 – made famous by the great Ron Barassi – in 2013.
At this stage, No.3 is vacant for the second season in a row. It was previously worn by Clint Bartram in 2012. Another 11 jumper numbers are vacant from No.24 to No.49.
They are: No.24 (last worn by Liam Jurrah in 2012), No.28 (Joel Macdonald in 2013), No.29 (Michael Newton in 2011), No.30 (James Sellar in 2013), No.34 (Dean Kent in 2013), No.36 (Aaron Davey in 2013), No.39 (Neville Jetta in 2013), No.41 (Troy Davis in 2013), No.43 (Rory Taggert in 2013), No.47 (Tom Couch in 2013) and No.49 (Nathan Stark in 2013) are vacant at this stage.
International scholarship player Maia Westrupp has been given his No.50 – his first Guernsey with the Demons.
As already announced last year, Jesse Hogan, who is now officially on Melbourne’s list, will wear No.1.
2014 Melbourne guernsey numbers
1 – Jesse Hogan
2 – Nathan Jones
3 –
4 – Jack Watts
5 – Jimmy Toumpas
6 – Chris Dawes
7 – Jack Viney
8 – James Frawley
9 – Jack Trengove
10 – Shannon Byrnes
11 – Mitch Clark
12 – Dom Tyson
13 – Jordie McKenzie
14 – Lynden Dunn
15 – Mitch Clisby
16 – Dean Kent
17 – Sam Blease
18 – Daniel Cross
19 – James Strauss
20 – Colin Garland
21 – Cameron Pedersen
22 – Viv Michie
23 – Bernie Vince
24 –
25 – Tom McDonald
26 – Daniel Nicholson
27 – Aidan Riley
28 –
29 –
30 –
31 – Jack Grimes
32 – Michael Evans
33 – Dom Barry
34 –
35 – Luke Tapscott
36 –
37 – Max Gawn
38 – Jeremy Howe
39 –
40 – Mark Jamar
41 –
42 – Jake Spencer
43 –
44 – Rohan Bail
45 – Matt Jones
46 – Dean Terlich
47 –
48 – Jack Fitzpatrick
49 –
50 – Maia Westrupp