- Dec 29, 2014
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- Port Adelaide
We didn't have these problems at North PinesIts because players can move 4 or 5 grades over a few weeks, so as players have to own their own jumper they give out numbers that can't be repeated, if they end up in the higher grades.
I was asked what number I wanted and they started in the high 100's. I went with 191 because I figured I was never going to play A grade and would have to improve a fair bit to play B grade, so I figured over time I could get my number down. And it happened. I also didn't want a 200 number as they were smaller numbers to fit on the jumper.
After a couple of years I tore off the one of the 1's and it became 19 and then a couple of years later tore off the other 1 and it became 9. Number 9 was awarded to a star player in the A grade so secretary Dr Fred Chocka Bloch had no problem with me wearing 9 in the lower grades.
I reckon it was in 1990 when the Blacks had 9 open age teams, and Chocka told me he had registered 353 players.
A guy I played with - Rattling Robert Read - wore 173. He had part of his number torn off in a game, Chocka gave him new numbers for his mum to sow on, and she sowed it on as 731.
These days I think the Blacks have 6 open age male teams and 3 open age female teams.










