Prized trade period acquisitions, Jake Carlisle and Nathan Freeman, have both been handed famous St Kilda guernsey numbers, whilst father-son recruit Bailey Rice will wear his father’s old number, after the Saints announced their 2016 playing numbers on Thursday morning.

Nine new numbers were assigned ahead of next season, among the changes were two changes for current players with livewire forward, Jack Lonie, shuffling from No. 37 to Adam Schneider’s No. 13, and key position prospect, Hugh Goddard, shifting from No. 33 to No. 23 – a number made famous by Stewart Loewe.

Former Essendon swingman, Carlisle, will wear No.2 at the Saints, after the club allocated the 24-year-old the historic number made famous by the second longest serving captain in the clubs history, Danny Frawley, as well as another former captain, Aaron Hamill, Tony Brown and 1966 premiership player Brian Mynott.

Highly rated midfielder, Freeman, has been handed an equally significant number, with the injury plagued youngster set to wear No. 10 at St Kilda. The former Magpie will be hoping to emulate 1958 Brownlow medallist and Saints Hall of Famer, Neil Roberts, who wore the number with distinction. As did Carl Ditterich on 203 occasions, and team of the century half-forward flanker, Bill Mohr during the 1930s.

First-round draft pick, Jade Gresham, will wear Farren Ray’s No.22 in his debut season, whilst fellow draftee, Brandon White, has been handed 1925 Brownlow medallist, Colin Watson’s No. 31 guernsey.

Rookie selection’s Nick O’Kearney and Nick Coughlan have been assigned No. 33 and No. 38 respectively, with 2015 under-18 All-Australian, O’Kearney, receiving Goddard’s 2015 playing number before he switched to No. 23 (which was most recently worn by Spencer White).