The Numbers Game

[bomber91]

After a pretty notable clean-out of our senior list, it occurred to me that there are quite a few prestigious numbers up for grabs.

Some of the vacants include: 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 20.

Of these numbers, a few may well go to our new recruits from Thursday's draft but I wanted to see if anyone had any early predictions. Here are mine:

Howlett will upgrade his 40 and receive the number 10, fitting the bill as the junkyard dog we have associated with the 10 (Spike, O'Donnell)

BJ will get number 9.. just because I personally think it suits him

Baguley will get Slattery's 20

Although I would love to see Joe get the 6 and follow in his dad's footsteps, I don't think it will happen.. I reckon they might give him number 1, which has been a vacant spot for a few seasons now. Smokin' might just be the next big thing they were waiting for

13 won't go to anyone unless we recruit a rated indigenous player

[Mrs Mercuri]

There was a rumour on twitter that BJ was getting the 10..

[bomberdonnie]

Daniher's Twitter handle is joedaniher06 so he might have an affection for the number

[BenDoolan]

Joe Daniher will wear whatever number he wants. If he wants 6, he will wear 6. He currently wear No.6 for Aberfeldie I believe, hence his twitter name. It appears he will request 6 because it is available. The club may have already known this and decided to move Monfries on

[JockStraps]

Joe Daniher will wear whatever number he wants. If he wants 6, he will wear 6. He currently wear No.6 for Aberfeldie I believe, hence his twitter name. It appears he will request 6 because it is available. The club may have already known this and decided to move Monfries on

If Jesus H Christ was wearing the Number 6 at Essendon they would have moved him on to accommodate Joe Daniher

[Mrs Mercuri]

According to young Martin Gleeson's twitter he is in the number 35 jumper meaning Nick O'Brien may have had an upgrade...??

[BenDoolan]

According to young Martin Gleeson's twitter he is in the number 35 jumper meaning Nick O'Brien may have had an upgrade...??

The NOB might get No.1

[j-mac31]

According to young Martin Gleeson's twitter he is in the number 35 jumper meaning Nick O'Brien may have had an upgrade...??

Or they won't be playing in the same team.

[Mrs Mercuri]

According to young Martin Gleeson's twitter he is in the number 35 jumper meaning Nick O'Brien may have had an upgrade...??

Or they won't be playing in the same team.

The boys playing in our VFL side next year will keep the same numbers they wear for the Ess senior team... No chopping and changing like there was at Bendigo.

Nick O'Brien must have got a new number...

[paddyl90]

MICHAEL Hibberd met Merv Neagle at an Essendon function at the start of this year. They were seated together by chance, but by the end of the night Hibberd felt like he had made a new friend.
''We sat together for a few hours so we had a good chat, and he was easy to talk to,'' Hibberd said. ''It was good. With everything that happened, it was good to meet him and good to know that we got along so well.''
Neagle died four months ago in a truck accident that devastated the players who had worn red and black alongside him. In the aftermath, Hibberd paid attention to what the bold, hard-running wingman's teammates said about him, and could see how much he had meant to them.
Neagle was on the 22-year-old's mind when he went to see coach James Hird recently, to ask whether he could move into the No. 1 guernsey worn by Neagle in the 1980s and left vacant since his eldest son, Jay, was delisted at the end of last year.
So was Mark Harvey, a champion of the club Hibberd also met for the first time this year. So was Mark Johnson, who played in the 2000 premiership, as well as former captain Jack Clarke and the 11 No. 1s who have played in Essendon premierships.
Hibberd wore the number for Frankston in the year he was drafted, but did his research before he dropped in to see Hird, and is glad that he did.
He isn't the only player changing numbers for next year, with Nick O'Brien taking over No. 10, worn most recently by Mark McVeigh, Tom Bellchambers taking Ricky Dyson's No. 2, and Brendon Goddard taking Brent Prismall's No. 9. Joe Daniher will wear his father Anthony's No. 6. Fellow draftees Jason Ashby, Dylan van Unen, Martin Gleeson, Sean Gregory and Nick Kommer to take numbers 14, 33, 35, 37 and 38 respectively.
''No one was wearing No. 1 so I spoke to Hirdy about it,'' Hibberd said. ''I think it has more 100-game players than any other number at the club, so it's a special number at Essendon, and he seemed pretty happy with what I saw in it and was happy for me to take it on.
''There's some great players who have worn it, and a lot of premiership players as well, so it would be nice to follow them. They drill it into us at all the functions we go to, and when you see all the premiership players and get to meet people like Merv you see the friendships they have and how they're friendships that last forever.''
Hibberd's second season at Essendon was punctuated by soft-tissue injuries, which cost him a handful of games but helped him realise how important it is to do everything right in rehab so that when you come back, you come back well.
The half-back was part of the small group the club sent to sample altitude training in Colorado last month, which has given him confidence about how the coaches regard him.
''It was a good way to start the pre-season and hopefully it's something that will help me feel fitter and more confident going into next year,'' he said. ''I'll be 23 by the time next season starts … at that age where I have to take a bit more control of my career and make sure I'm in charge of what happens from here.''

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/h ... 2ar33.html[/list]

[paddyl90]

Follow up on Club site:

Exciting father/son recruit Joe Daniher will inherit his father’s famous No.6 guernsey, worn by Anthony Daniher between 1987-1994 as well as uncle Neale Daniher.


Brendon Goddard will don the No.9 guernsey for his first season in the red and black, while emerging talent Michael Hibberd will take on the No.1 jumper - made famous by Essendon champions including Merv Neagle, Mark Harvey and Mark Johnson.


New guernsey numbers have also been allocated to Tom Bellchambers (No.2) and second-year player Jackson Merrett (No.20).


In a strong show of faith, Nick O’Brien has been awarded the club’s prestigious No.10 guernsey, worn by club legend John Coleman and most recently by Mark McVeigh, who announced his retirement this year.


The club’s new recruits Jason Ashby, Dylan van Unen, Martin Gleeson, Sean Gregory and Nick Kommer will take numbers 14, 33, 35, 37 and 38 respectively.


There is one vacant spot on the club’s playing list which will be filled following next week’s AFL Pre-Season and Rookie Draft.

The 2013 guernsey numbers are as follows:

1. Michael Hibberd
2. Tom Bellchambers
3. Scott Gumbleton
4. Jobe Watson
5. Brent Stanton
6. Joe Daniher
7. Leroy Jetta
8. Jason Winderlich
9. Brendon Goddard
10. Nick O’Brien
11. David Zaharakis
12. Stewart Crameri
14. Jason Ashby
15. Courtenay Dempsey
16. Tayte Pears
17. Jake Melksham
18. Michael Hurley
19. David Hille
20. Jackson Merrett
21. Dyson Heppell
22. Jake Carlisle
23. David Myers
24. Alex Browne
25. Ariel Steinberg
26. Cale Hooker
27. Luke Davis
28. Elliott Kavanagh
29. Alwyn Davey
30. Patrick Ryder
31. Dustin Fletcher
32. Travis Colyer
33. Dylan van Unen
34. Kyle Hardingham
35. Martin Gleeson
36. Lauchlan Dalgleish (rookie)
37. Sean Gregory
38. Nick Kommer
39. Heath Hocking
40. Ben Howlett
42. Nathan Lovett-Murray
45. Hal Hunter (rookie)
46. Mark Baguley
47. Cory Dell’Olio (rookie)

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/a/201 ... nced/10247

When you look at that list now you don't have as many "WTF is he still doing on the list" moments. Signs of change.

[Mrs Mercuri]

Very surprised about TB being given the #2... Isn't really a ruckmans number I would have thought.... And why not move up Bags and Dell instead of leaving such a big gap from 42-45...

[little_ripper]

I found the fact #13 left vacant was interesting.

[BenDoolan]

I found the fact #13 left vacant was interesting.

Waiting for Jake Long

[Gimps]

Very surprised about TB being given the #2... Isn't really a ruckmans number I would have thought.... And why not move up Bags and Dell instead of leaving such a big gap from 42-45...

I'm sure those two players wouldn't give a rats arse about moving from 46-47 to 43-44. Think they'd prefer to keep their original number until something better comes up..

[BenDoolan]

Unless Howlett really loves 40, I'm surprised he wasn't allocated 14 ahead of Ashby.

[ARCN]

Now for the awkward moment IF when we have to honour an agreement and have to redraft Prismall and can only offer him #41

[j-mac31]

I'm a little surprised O'Brien got number 10. I thought he looked promising in the few games he played, but that's it at this stage.

I like that Daniher is going with 6.

Goddard looks odd in an Essendon jumper - probably will for some time.

Whatever, ultimately numbers mean nothing.

[JockStraps]

When you look at that list now you don't have as many "WTF is he still doing on the list" moments. Signs of change.

Was thinking exactly the same thing although I am sure Bombermancan will waste another 45 minutes of his life spewing vitriol over Nathern (sic) Lovett-Murray

[Mrs Mercuri]

Couldn't watch the video... But why did TB decide on #2 for next season??