Some storied Collingwood numbers will have new owners in 2017.
As names such as Swan, Cloke, Brown, Toovey and Macaffer exit stage left, a host of new faces take on the responsibility of carrying their numerical legacies into the future.
The recruits
Daniel Wells has always traded in single digits.
He was originally drafted with pick No. 2 in 2002.
He wore the No. 8 in his 243-game career with North Melbourne.
Now, as a Magpie, he will wear the No. 3.
It’s a number previously worn by Macaffer, Stan Magro, Harry Curtis, Mick Gayfer and Peter Lucas.
For Macaffer himself, the number holds added importance, for he requested he wear it in his final four seasons in honour of his friend John McCarthy.
Brent Macaffer proudly shows off his jumper and locker, bearing the number three worn by John McCarthy, in January 2013. Photo: Collingwood Media.
Of the others to arrive during the October exchange period, Lynden Dunn has shifted from Melbourne’s No. 14 to Collingwood’s No. 15.
Pies fans will be hoping Dunn can reprise the efforts of other recent carriers of the No. 15 such as Leigh Brown and Carl Steinfort, who each took the number into Grand Finals after arriving from other clubs.
Dunn will share locker space with Chris Mayne, who will wear No. 16. Mayne wore No. 23 for Fremantle between 2008 and 2016.
Meanwhile, the club’s new apparel partner ISC will have to remeasure the No. 32. Will Hoskin-Elliott, who stands at 186cm and weighs 80kg, will slot into Travis Cloke’s old jumper. Cloke is 10cm taller and 26kg heavier than the former Giant.
An upgrade
Dane Swan’s old No. 36 will be worn by teenager Brayden Sier, who arrived at the club in November 2015.
Sier hails from Banyule, in Collingwood’s northern suburb heartland, and played eight VFL games in an injury-curtailed first season.
He’s not too dissimilar to Swan, either.
Wearing No. 35, he shared a locker next to him throughout Swan’s final season. And it seems they are both fond of tattoos…
The new faces
As revealed last month, father-son draftees Callum Brown (No. 17) and Josh Daicos (No. 26) have opted not to wear their famous parents’ old numbers.
"It was a request from the players," CEO Gary Pert explained.
“In a lot of ways we think they are going to be under enough scrutiny and attention."
As is a recent club tradition, No. 35 will be worn by the club’s first selection in the National Draft.
This year, it’s Sam McLarty’s turn to receive the honour.
Fellow draftee Kayle Kirby will take on the No. 27, as previously held by Murray Weideman and Craig Starcevich.
Brayden Sier will wear the No. 36 in season 2017. Photo: Shane Barrie.
The rookies
Mitch McCarthy will be hoping the No. 34 still has a touch of Alan Toovey’s good luck left on it.
Toovey, like McCarthy, began his career as a rookie, but went on to make his debut and play a total of 159 senior games.
Fellow rookies Henry Schade (No. 41), Liam Mackie (No. 44) and Max Lynch (No. 46) complete the club’s 2017 list.
No. 42
As has been the case since 1992, the No. 42 jumper will be left vacant. It was retired after the passing of Darren Millane, who famously wore it throughout his 147 game career.
Collingwood’s 2017 Playing List
1. Alex Fasolo
2. Jordan De Goey
3. Daniel Wells
4. Brodie Grundy
5. Jamie Elliott
6. Tyson Goldsack
7. Adam Treloar
8. Tom Langdon
9. Jesse White
10. Scott Pendlebury
11. Jarryd Blair
12. Matthew Scharenberg
13. Taylor Adams
14. James Aish
15. Lynden Dunn
16. Chris Mayne
17. Callum Brown
18. Travis Varcoe
19. Levi Greenwood
20. Ben Reid
21. Tom Phillips
22. Steele Sidebottom
23. Lachlan Keeffe
24. Josh Thomas*
25. Jack Crisp
26. Josh Daicos
27. Kayle Kirby
28. Ben Sinclair
29. Tim Broomhead
30. Darcy Moore
31. Jackson Ramsay
32. Will Hoskin-Elliott
33. Rupert Wills
34. Mitch McCarthy*
35. Sam McLarty
36. Brayden Sier
37. Brayden Maynard
38. Jeremy Howe
39. Ben Crocker
40. Josh Smith
41. Henry Schade*
42. Retired
43. Adam Oxley
44. Liam Mackie*
45. Max Lynch*
46. Mason Cox*
* Denotes rookie
# Bold and italics denote players in new numbers
Dane Swan and his No. 36 were seen 258 times between 2003 and 2016.
