The wait is over for our new recruits, and we can now reveal the guernsey numbers they will be wearing when they represent the red and white.
Commit these to memory – hopefully it’s not long before we see them running out on the SCG:
18 - Jesse Dattoli
20 - Riak Andrew
23- Ned Bowman
25 - Ben Paton
26 - Riley Bice
32 - Blake Leidler
Our first draft pick, Jesse Dattoli, who was taken with selection 22 overall from the Northern Knights, will wear number 18 for next season. The club’s games record holder in the guernsey is Joe Scanlon, who played 148 games for South Melbourne from 1923-1931.
Ned Bowman, who was drafted from Norwood in South Australia, will wear number 23 made famous by star forward Lance Franklin. Franklin played 354 games in the jumper including 172 for the Sydney Swans, after being traded to the Harbour City at the end of the 2013 season from Hawthorn.
Our third pick in the draft, and selection 41 overall, Riley Bice, will wear number 26 which was recently vacated by champion Swan, Luke Parker. Parker, a 2012 Premiership player, played 293 games in the guernsey.
Our fourth and last pick in the national draft, Riak Andrew, will proudly wear number 20 which was worn recently by Premiership player Sam Reid.
Taken in the rookie draft, Ben Paton and Blake Leidler will wear numbers 25 and 32 respectively. Ted Richards is the Swans record holder for the number 25, having played 228 games, while Lewis Jetta played 127 games in the number 32.
Executive GM Football - AFL, Leon Cameron, said it’s an exciting time for the new recruits.
“We think long and hard about the allocation of jumper numbers and we feel these new players will wear them with pride,” Cameron said.
“Obviously, jumper numbers 20, 23 and 26 have recently been worn by Sydney Swans champions, so we didn’t hand these out lightly, but we believe these kids will represent themselves well.
“I look forward to seeing all the new players run out in the red and white next year, hoping they will make these jumpers their own.”
The Swans will play in an AAMI Community Series fixture against the Gold Coast Suns before kicking off their season, hosting an Opening Round fixture against Hawthorn at the SCG on Friday, March 7.
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