Highest number a player has worn?

[shinboner spiggs]

Strauchanie's #59 would have to be the highest...

collingwood ruined his career, he did better at the dogs

 

[Hard_to_Beat]

Anthony Stevens wore number 58 for 4 games in 1989.

 

[Cobba Stevens]

I've never really questioned it, but why are players restricted to lower numbers. Why can't any number be chosen?

 

[PTizzle]

I've never really questioned it, but why are players restricted to lower numbers. Why can't any number be chosen?

I think it's just an AFL thing, in the NFL they go up to #99 and they go to #98 in the NHL (#99 is retired because of Wayne Gretzky). High guernsey numbers for AFL players were often there in the past because of U19/reserves teams being directly affiliated with the clubs main lists if I'm remembering correctly, so if a player got called up he might be wearing his reserves number. As for the new clubs I remember Nathan Ablett wore #55 in his 2 games for Gold Coast, so that'd surpass McQualter.

I think like in the NBA there's no real rules against using higher numbers, it's just tradition not to go too high. I remember Tom Rockliff saying that he wanted to make #38 'his own' and I think for players at the clubs they like to be associated with the history of the number they're wearing, and thus enriching the clubs history using their name. If you chuck on say, #67, you might be making a new bit of history for the club but you might also face the prospect of looking like a bit of a nong in front of your teammates

There may well be a rule against it though, a lot of that paragraph is speculation - if anyone knows then I'd be interested to hear about it.

A little random tidbit, I think the highest numbers in any sport are in cricket - this may be exclusive to the English team but in small type on their shirts they have their 'number', which is their test player number chronologically (for example, Bairstow/Root/Compton all have numbers in the 650s). However since this is in small type and can't really be seen by spectators so it probably doesn't count.

I seem to remember some ridiculous numbers being worn in T20 matches too but that's probably going too far off-topic!

 

[DardySingh360]

Pretty sure Chris Gayle has worn 333 in a few IPL and other T20 games, this is his highest test score for those who aren't aware.