WHEN Carlton’s Matthew Cottrell chested the banner for his 66th senior appearance in the No.46 last Sunday afternoon, taking in the match-day broadcast from his home in Adelaide was Matthew Wright, the previous games record holder in the guernsey.

Wright, the former Adelaide forward taken as a delisted free agent by the Blues in November 2015, had held the 65-game record in the number since surpassing David Ellard’s 63 games six seasons ago – and he was first to commend Cottrell in eclipsing his own milestone in the North Melbourne match at Marvel Stadium.

“I wasn’t mindful in terms of the number of games played, but given the connection with the number I’ve always kept a close eye on Matt,” Wright said this week.

“I flicked him (Cottrell) a text when he made his senior debut and I remember watching him play for the first time on the TV. It was cool to see him running around in the No.46 and to tell my little boy that I used to wear that number at Carlton.

“I still have a few friends at the Club who have told me that Matt is respected - which is what every player wants, to be respected by his teammates - and it’s great to see him forging a good career.

“He’s gone well in his time at Carlton, they’re playing good footy and he’s been a big part of that. Hopefully he’ll get his name on the No.46 locker and smash the record by plenty.”

A 94-game player in five seasons from 2011 for Adelaide (the club at which he currently officiates as development coach and SANFL assistant coach), Wright was a grand servant in his later football life for the Blues – taking the goalkicking honours and finishing equal-sixth in the John Nicholls Medal count in his maiden season.

Cottrell, in claiming the record from Wright last weekend, conveyed a genuine respect for the former keeper of the No.46.

“I’ve not yet met Matt Wright in person, but growing up a Carlton supporter I was a big fan of his work. He was a good goal sneak,” Cottrell said.

“I remember when I started out that he sent me a really nice message. It felt good to be recognised by a former No.46.”

At IKON Park, the lockers 1-45 each carry the names of at least one Carlton 100-game player in perpetuity, and at the time of writing the No.46 remains the exception to that rule.

But ‘Cotters’ is closing in.

As he said this week: “I’ve always had my sights set on 100 and being the first one to do it (wearing 46). We’ll see how we go, hopefully the injuries stay away”.

Since numbers were first worn by the combatants of the Carlton-Essendon semi-final of 1911, just nine wearers of the No.46 have represented the Club at senior level, and they are as follows:

Bob (‘Rocky’) Lane (two matches, 1966)
John Warden (nine matches, 1971)
Andrew Graham (one match, 1983)
Peter White (two matches, 1989)
Mark Porter (four matches, 1997)
Adam Pickering (two matches, 2001)
David Ellard (63 matches, 2008-2015)
Matthew Wright (65 matches, 2016-2018)
MATT COTTRELL (66 matches, 2019 - *)