ST KILDA has finalised its player numbers for 2015, with one of the club’s most famous guernseys being passed along to a second-year player.
Eli Templeton will don the number four as part of several number upgrades.
Darrel Baldock captained the club’s only premiership in 1966 wearing the number four, while the game’s greatest goal kicker Tony Lockett, premiership hero Barry Breen and multiple best and fairest winner Bill Cubbins are just some of the names to have worn the famous number four over the years.
ARTICLE: #25by25
In total, 11 best and fairest awards have been won wearing the number four.
Luke Dunstan will wear Lenny Hayes’ seven, after it was handed to him at the end of the 2014 season while fellow second year player Blake Acres has also earned himself a single digit number, replacing Trent Dennis-Lane in the number eight guernsey.
ARTICLE: Hayes passes number seven to Dunstan
Both numbers have a proud history at the club, with Nicky Winmar, Cyril Gambetta and former captains Wels Eicke and Stuart Trott wearing number seven during their time at St Kilda.
The most recent Saint to play 100 or more games in number eight was Max Hudghton, but prior to him Alan Morrow wore the number in St Kilda’s 1966 premiership team. Two-time best and fairest Jeff Dunne also wore the number in the early 1980s.
Each of St Kilda’s four draftees from last month’s National Draft have been handed numbers in the 30s, while rookie Ahmed Saad has been given 38.
The first Saint to pass 100 games wore Paddy McCartin’s number 32, but not since ruckman Jimmy Smith achieved this feat in the first decade of the 20th century has another St Kilda player notched 100 matches wearing the guernsey.
Hugh Goddard’s follows on from James Gwilt in the number 33.
Gwilt played 126 games in the number while Robert Elphinstone’s name is also etched on Goddard’s new locker, the centre half back having played 157 matches for the club throughout the 1980s.
Jack Sinclair has replaced Blake Acres in number 40 and Brenton Payne will wear Eli Templeton’s 43 in 2015.
At Sydney Tim Membrey wore number one in his solitary senior appearance, but will wear 28 at the Saints next season.
Having impressed in his debut campaign before an Anzac Day injury, Templeton said he was delighted to inherit the number four ahead of the upcoming season.
“I’m obviously very honoured,” Templeton told SAINTS.com.au.
“It’s one of the most traditionally significant numbers at St Kilda. Quite a few big names have worn it before me, so I’m just really honoured and can’t wait to jump into the guernsey. I’ve just jumped into the locker which is pretty exciting.”
While the creative half forward heard rumours of the number change, he didn’t officially move into his new locker until yesterday.
“I heard a whisper in New Zealand that I might be getting it, but nothing was confirmed until now,” he said.
“I said I’d be happy to move from 43 to 4 and there was a little bit behind it with Darrel Baldock being from Tasmania. There was a bit of a link there.”
1 – Tom Hickey
2 – Arryn Siposs
3 – Jack Steven
4 – Eli Templeton
5 – Shane Savage
6 – Seb Ross
7 – Luke Dunstan
8 – Blake Acres
9 – Tom Lee
10 – Daniel Markworth
11 – Leigh Montagna
12 – Nick Riewoldt
13 – Adam Schneider
14 – Jarryn Geary
15 – Jack Billings
16 – Jack Newnes
17 – Dylan Roberton
18 – Billy Longer
19 – Sam Gilbert
20 – David Armitage
21 – Luke Delaney
22 – Farren Ray
23 – Spencer White
24 – Sean Dempster
25 – Sam Fisher
26 – Tom Curren
27 – Josh Bruce
28 – Tim Membrey
29 – Jimmy Webster
30 – Brodie Murdoch
31 – Tom Simpkin
32 – Paddy McCartin
33 – Hugh Goddard
34 – Nathan Wright
35 – Josh Saunders
36 – Daniel McKenzie
37 – Jack Lonie
38 – Ahmed Saad
39 – Cameron Shenton
40 – Jack Sinclair
41 – Darren Minchington
42 – Lewis Pierce
43 – Brenton Payne
44 – Maverick Weller
45 – Jason Holmes
