IT WAS Ollie Hollands who requested an upgrade from the No.14 to the coveted No.4 – and the Club’s games record holder in the latter couldn’t be happier.
Stephen Kernahan - Carlton’s longest-serving dual premiership captain, three-time best and fairest and leading goalkicker through eleven consecutive seasons - welcomed the development, and told Hollands as much in a phone conversation.
Kernahan, who is recovering from a long overdue reconstruction of his left shoulder, spoke to Hollands last month, after Hollands, who had managed 19 games in the No.14 in his maiden season, requested the change to the No.4.
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Hollands grew up supporting the Blues, with Bryce Gibbs - the 2014 John Nicholls Medallist - one of his personal favourites alongside Chris Judd and Kade Simpson.
“I was given Ollie’s phone number and while I feel bad about old players ringing new ones I gave him a call. I hadn’t spoken to him before, but it was nice talking to him. He sounded like a lovely bloke.
“Ollie probably moves a little bit better than I did.”
Kernahan is one of five Carlton players after Viv Valentine (1915), Ken Baxter (1938), Alex Way (1945) and Peter Bosustow (1981-’82) to have worn the No.4 in victorious Grand Finals.
He is also one of two club best and fairest players to have worn the No.4, together with Gibbs – as with Kernahan, ex-Glenelg.
Coincidentally, Kernahan, Gibbs and Brian Buckley are the Club’s only players to have worn the No.4 into a minimum 100 senior matches – Kernahan into 251, Gibbs into 231 and Buckley into 113.
Kernahan was handed the number on the cusp of his first season of 1986, much to his embarrassment given the circumstances.
“When I was given the No.4 ‘Buzz’ (Peter Bosustow the previous wearer) had gone home to Perth to care for his dad,” Kernahan recalled. “But then he rolled up for the first day of training – only to be told ‘They’ve given the new bloke your number’.
“I felt mortified about that, but I think ‘Buzz’ has forgiven me.”