ST KILDA recruits have been presented with their new jumper numbers for 2013.

As announced yesterday on saints.com.au, former Gold Coast ruckman Tom Hickey will take the no. 1 guernsey made famous by Trevor Barker, while draftee Josh Saunders is the latest custodian of Robert Harvey’s no. 35.

Other new jumper numbers are as follows:

Trent Dennis-Lane – 8.

Dennis-Lane gets the chance to wear the same number he wore during his brief career with the Sydney Swans. The guernsey holds special significance for St Kilda, with ruckman Alan Morrow wearing it in the 1966 premiership team. The game was Morrow’s last at VFL level and he was the last man to hold the ball, taking a mark on the outer wing as the siren rang to signal St Kilda’s first and so far only flag. Morrow was later named on the bench in the club’s team of the century. Bill Cubbins won one of his four best and fairests while wearing the number and captaining the club in 1929.

In more recent times, Max Hudghton wore no. 8 for each of his 234 games for the Saints. Widely regarded as one of the best key defenders of his era, Hudghton retired at the end of 2009 and has since returned to the Saints in a part-time coaching role. Dual best and fairest winners Jeff Dunne and Harold Matthews also wore the number as did centreman Glenn Elliott.

Tom Lee – 9.

Fraser Gehrig was the most recent player to wear no. 9 at senior level, playing 145 games and kicking 398 goals for the Saints on the way to winning two Coleman medals and a spot in the All-Australian team. Max Crow (1983) and Harold Comte (1933) each won club best and fairests while wearing the number, while Centre Half Back Ian Synman wore it in the 1966 premiership winning team.

Dylan Roberton – 17.

After wearing no. 24 in his three seasons with Fremantle, Roberton takes the no. 17 previously worn by Nick Winmar. Legendary coach Alan Killigrew wore 17 for the bulk of his 78 games with the Saints, winning a best and fairest in 1940. Other best and fairest winners to wear 17 include Peter Kiel (1982) and Bruce Phillips (1950) while Barry Breen wore the number for four of his 18 years with the club.

Spencer White – 18.

Legendary St Kilda figure Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Neale wore 18 for 242 of his 256 games with St Kilda, including in the 1966 premiership where he kicked five goals. Neale starred for the Saints at both ends of the ground and won the best and fairest in 1973 as a defender. He was named in the back-pocket in the club’s team of the century. Brendon Goddard wore 18 for each of his 205 games before joining Essendon at the end of 2012 while in 1926 Horrie Mason became the first player to win a best and fairest for the Saints while wearing no. 18.

Brodie Murdoch – 30.

Josh Saunders is not the only Saint to inherit a Brownlow medallist’s number this season. Brian Gleeson wore 30 in his Brownlow medal winning year in 1957 at just 22 years of age. Sadly, Gleeson injured his knee in the 1958 pre-season and never played another game, leaving him stranded on 71 matches as well as four games for Victoria.
Gleeson also won the 1957 Saints best and fairest, joining Bob Hancock (1948) as best and fairest winners to wear the number. More recent custodians of the number include Brett Peake and Daniel Wulf.

Nathan Wright – 34.

St Kilda’s first draft pick from 2012 inherits a number that has largely gone under the radar throughout the Saints’ 140-year history. Jayson Daniels wore it for 115 games in two stints either side of a brief time at the Sydney Swans, while legendary figure David McNamara wore it for one season. In recent times, Jack Steven wore the number in his debut match in 2009 before moving to the no. 3, while former Tigers Adam Pattison and Dean Polo have also worn it.

Lewis Pierce – 42.

Wayne Judson is St Kilda’s most famous owner of the number 42, wearing it throughout his 124 game career from 1971 to 1977. Judson was a regular Victorian representative, playing five games in the back pocket as well as the 1971 Grand Final loss to Hawthorn.

The Saints’ next Grand Final 26 years later also had a no. 42, with Brett Cook leading the ruck division in the absence of the injured Peter Everitt and Lazar Vidovic.

Jarryn Geary wore the number for his first three years at the club before moving to 14 at the end of 2009.

All other players will keep the numbers they wore in 2012.
 

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