IT’S THE news that everyone has been waiting for.
With a handful of Blues arriving at IKON Park in recent weeks, those who have been welcomed to their new club can now have their jumper numbers officially revealed.
Righto. We’ve heard your many calls.
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) December 8, 2022
Jumper numbers are here. But there’s a catch.
We’re going one by one, and we’ll only reveal the next after we get the correct answer. We’ll need the name of the player and their number in the replies.
Are you ready? We believe in you.
The first acquisition of the acquisition period from a Navy Blue perspective was Blake Acres, who returned to Victoria where his AFL career started after stints at St Kilda and later Fremantle.
The wingman received the lowest number available on the Carlton list, receiving No.13 for the upcoming season. Five Carlton players have worn the number in premiership wins, starting with Vin Gardiner in 1915 and most recently with Mil Hanna in 1995.
He’ll have a fellow new Blue as his locker buddy, with Ollie Hollands to wear the No.14 jumper in 2023 and beyond.
Without a custodian in 2022, the No.14 jumper evokes great Carlton memories of years gone by, not least Rod Ashman — the Carlton Team of the Century member who was on hand at IKON Park this week to meet Hollands.
There’s another historical tie-in with the No.26 guernsey, which will be worn by Hollands’ fellow Carlton-supporting draftee, Lachie Cowan.
Originally from Tasmania, Cowan wears the number most famously worn at Carlton by David Rhys-Jones: the Carlton Norm Smith Medallist who was also a premiership captain for North Launceston in the Tasmanian State League.
Two new draftees will have each other to turn to in the Nos.31 and 32 lockers, with Harry Lemmey and Jaxon Binns to call them home respectively.
Lemmey takes the jumper once worn by the great Ron Barassi and Carlton cult hero Tom Alvin, while Carlton Hall of Fame members Bryan Quirk and David Glascott chased the pigskin in the Navy Blue No.32.
NEW JUMPER NUMBERS IN 2023
Blake Acres — No.13
Ollie Hollands — No.14
Lachie Cowan — No.26
Harry Lemmey — No.31
Jaxon Binns — No.32
