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Strange player number behaviour

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Supermercado

Supermercado

The straw that stirs the drink
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Not strictly speaking a "stat", but definately something only the likes of us would be interested in :D

Open Q's from the "Questions" thread, and from one of my posts in the main forum. I can answer a lot of the Melbourne ones thanks to the yearbook having a full run-down of each number's history but I'm interested in the answers for other clubs.

1. What's the highest number ever worn in a VFL/AFL match for premiership points? #65 - Andrew Witts. Collingwood 1985
http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/A/Andrew_Witts.html

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/age-history-and-a-heavy-number/2009/04/29/1240982277427.html

2. How many players have worn two numbers in the same season (excluding replacement jumpers in game)?

Melbourne
Kevin Dyson #50 and #32 - 1991
Jeff Farmer #8 and #33 - 1999

3. Wtf was going on with this guy?

Darren McAsey - http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/p...en_McAsey.html

34 games, 6 seasons, 4 different jumper numbers.

Started in 46, changed to 12 the next season. Missed a year, came back in 12 then changed to 33 for two seasons and played his last year in 50.

I take it he was delisted and redrafted when he came back as #50,

3a. Has anyone else ever had their number go higher twice?

3b. Players who have had three different numbers at the same club?

Brisbane
Jason Akermanis (#35 in 1995, #20 in 1996, #12 from 1997-2006)

Collingwood
Nick Maxwell x4 (#41 in 2003, #43 in 2004, #27 in 2005-2007, #5 from 2008-)
Harry O'Brien (#43 in 2005-2006, #30 in 2007, #8 from 2008-)

Essendon
Brent Stanton (#32 in 2004, #24 from 2005-2007, #5 from 2008-)

Melbourne:
Steven Tingay (#52 - 89, #15, 90/91, #2 - 92-99)
Sean Charles (#44 - 92/93, #18 - 94, #1 - 95/97)
Daniel Ward (#49 - 98/99, #26 - 99/00, #10 01/07)

North Melbourne
Darren Crocker (#49 in 1985, #14 in 1986, #27 from 1987-1998)

Port Adelaide
Danyle Pearce (#41 in 2005, #16 from 2006-2008, #6 in 2009)

Richmond
Mark Merenda (#39 - 1994, #28 - 1995, #8 - 1997-2000)

West Coast
Paul Peos (#20 - 87-91, #6 - 92, #32 - 95)
Mitchell White (#47 - 91, #31 - 92, #12, 93-00)

4. How many players have moved to a higher number at the same club in the modern era?

Adelaide
Matthew Robran (#5 from 1993-1996, #10 from 1997-2001)

Collingwood
Nick Maxwell (#41 in 2003, #43 in 2004)

Fitzroy
Grant Lawrie (#3 in 1982, #34 from 1983-1988)
Darren Payne (#27 in 1994, #29 in 1995)

Fremantle
Jeff Farmer (#7 in 2002, #33 from 2003-2008)
Luke McPharlin (#15 in 2002, #18 from 2003-)
Chris Tarrant (#17 in 2007, #20 from 2008-)

Melbourne
Stefan Martin (#33 in 2008, #34 in 2009)

North Melbourne
Darren Crocker (#14 in 1986, #27 from 1987-1998)

Richmond
Kayne Pettifer (#8 from 2001-2004, #15 from 2005-)
Maurice Rioli (#17 from 1982-1985, #27 in 1986-87)

West Coast
Don Pyke (#1 in 1989/90, #10 from 1991-96)

5. What's the highest number worn at every club
(I've only looked at players with 20 or less games from 1986-now, and a handful of lower number games from around 1980 as per the AFL Tables site. Corrections welcome)

Adelaide - #51 (Randall Bone, 1992/93)
Brisbane Bears - #53 (Ian Kidgell, 1991)
Brisbane Lions - #48 (David Calthorpe, 1999)
Carlton - #56 (Ang Christou, 1991)
Collingwood - #65 (Andrew Witts, 1985)
Essendon - #56 (Brendan Moore, 1987)
Fitzroy - #58 (Mark Dwyer, 1986)
Fremantle - #50 (Neil Mildenhall, 1995)
Geelong - #57 (Russell Mitchell, 1985)
Hawthorn - #53 (Dale Foster, 1980)
Melbourne - #59 (Andrew Dale, 1986)
North Melbourne - #59 (Robert Kerr, 1987/88 and Darren Steele, 1984)
Port Adelaide - #44 (Jarrod Cotton, 1997)
Richmond - #57 (Allan McKellar, 1986)
St. Kilda - #60 (Dermot McNicholl, 1990)
South Melbourne/Sydney - #60 (Craig Davis, 1988)
University - #31 (Tommy Graham, 1912 - Records very limited)
West Coast - #53 (Ashley McIntosh, 1991)
Western Bulldogs - #60 (Tony Liberatore, 1986)

6. Most different jumper numbers
Chris Bond, Aaron James, Paul Bryce, Stuart Wigney, Dale Kickett, Brent Heaver, Grant Fowler and Grant Lawrie [5]

Any more than this? Or other 5 players?
 
Great thread.

3b. Players who have had three different numbers at the same club?
Four: Nick Maxwell: #41 in 2003, #43 in 2004, #27 in 2005-2007, #5 2008-2009
Three: Harry O'Brien: #43 in 2005-2006, #30 in 2007, #8 2008-2009

4. How many players have moved to a higher number at the same club in the modern era?

Don Pike - #1 to #6 at WCE.

I thought of one the other day, just need it to pop into my head.

And BTW, Farmer's change was in 1999 (probably a typo, though. :p).
 
Also, the #43 has been a lucky one for Collingwood players/rookies in recent times.

Of those who've worn it since 2001, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Nick Maxwell, Harry O'Brien, Martin Clarke and now Jaxson Barham have all gone on to play senior footy (surprising for such a high number),
 
great thread. Some WCE facts to add into the mix.

Just to correct a previous post - Don Pyke actually went from #1 to #10.

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/D/Don_Pyke.html

Another player at the Eagles that changed upwards was Chris Waterman, he started in #31 and then changed to #39.

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/C/Chris_Waterman.html

Two players at the Eagles have worn three different numbers.
Paul Peos started in #20, then changed to #6, then after returning from Brisbane he wore #32.
Mitchell White started in #47, changed to #31, then changed again to #12.

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/P/Paul_Peos.html
http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/M/Mitchell_White.html

Ashley McIntosh wore #53 his first season with the Eagles, for now this is the biggest number a player has worn in a game at the club.
 

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Actually, I wouldn't trust my jumper numbers too much, a number of errors in the source have come to light. If you see someone who you think wore a different number, you're probably right.
 
Remembered some more:

Billy Morrison went from #10 in 2004, to #31 in 2005, when Blake Caracella arrived.

Justin crow wore #41 from 2002-2003, was delisted, then re-rookied (broke through for one senior match in 2004 vs Fremantle, Subiaco, R19) in the #47.
 
Fremantle has had a few;

McPharlin 15-18 from 02-03

Farmer 7-33 from 02-03, his old Melbourne number #33

S Anderson 6-14 from 98-99 - when Modra arrived, apparently Modra got him some new sunglasses & cash to allow Modra to have the #6.

Tarrant 17-20 from 07-08, #20 was his Collingwood number which came up when Justin Longmuir retired.

Heath Black started in 21 then was given Ben Allan's 7 in 1998, left the club in 2001, returned in 2005 & got back in to #21.
 
*Paul* said:
Actually, I wouldn't trust my jumper numbers too much, a number of errors in the source have come to light. If you see someone who you think wore a different number, you're probably right.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty confident about the Eagles ones I've mentioned being right - I've missed about a dozen home games in total for them since they came into the league. ;)

Another interesting point for this thread - the guernsey number worn the most by both Eagles and Dockers players in games is #10. Even with Rhys Palmer being out for the rest of the year, this is unlikely to change as well. So if you head west and number #10 is available, grab it.
 
Perhaps the strangest behaviour occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960's.

The newspapers didn't have official backing in those days..only the Record did. So when the papers published the numbers, the VFL told the clubs in the finals concerned to have the players change their numbers!
 
Supermercado said:
3b. Players who have had three different numbers at the same club?
Click to expand...

Danyle Pearce at Port: went from 41 to 16, and has taken 6 this year when Tredrea returned to 16.

At West Coast, Gehrig was allocated 34 in his first season but didn't play a game. He debuted in 25 and ended his Eagles career in 7.
 

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Ellis went from 32 to 8 mid-season. (I think). Jacobs retired and gave him the number, but may have been just prior to rd.1

I know the record didn't update for over a month, and even the stats site kept giving Jacobs games.
 
Semi-related in terms of players moving to bigger numbers, but I always thought this one was interesting. Before the start of the 1997(?) season, Kym Koster, Tyson Edwards and Matthew Robran did a 3-way swap of numbers, presumably to let Matthew wear hid dad's no 10.

Robran 5 --> 10
Koster 9 --> 5
Edwards 10 --> 9

I think the highest number worn by a Crow was 54 - Chris Groom iirc.
 
UpForGrabs said:
A couple of WCE points

Ryan Turnbull played 129 games in #50
David Wirrapanda has played 218 games in #44

Anyone play that many games in numbers that high?
Click to expand...

John Platten and Justin Madden have #44 covered.

Shaun Rehn in #52 would have the record for most games in the the highest number.
 

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Jason Davenport at Geelong had #55 as a VFL listed player in 2006, #41 as a Rookie listed player in 2007, and #1 as a senior listed player in 2008 before being delisted, and going back to #41 on arrival at Port.
 
diablo14 said:
Jason Davenport at Geelong had #55 as a VFL listed player in 2006, #41 as a Rookie listed player in 2007, and #1 as a senior listed player in 2008 before being delisted, and going back to #41 on arrival at Port.
Click to expand...

On that note the VFL is a great place for wacky numbers. Brad Miller in #81 was sensational.

I was #68 in the Amateurs once. Never played a game mind, but stayed around long enough to get my name in the program for the year.
 
Heh. I wore a hastily made #181 one game.

Somehow senior and reserve tops got mixed up, we had two players wearing #18 - didn't find out until after the game started. Strip of sticking plaster, and away I go.
 
Supermercado said:
On that note the VFL is a great place for wacky numbers. Brad Miller in #81 was sensational.

I was #68 in the Amateurs once. Never played a game mind, but stayed around long enough to get my name in the program for the year.
Click to expand...

Back in the Dennis Rodman days there were a lot of blokes in country footy getting around in 91.

Let us also remember Harry Taylor's legendary appearance in the #85 last year v Melbourne :D
 

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