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PLAYING THE NUMBERS GAME<br />
BY rOBErT LAiDLAW<br />
The coalition between favourite<br />
players and favourite<br />
numbers has been a constant in<br />
SANFL supporters’ minds since<br />
they first started barracking for<br />
their teams.<br />
Initially numbers on the back of<br />
guernseys were introduced<br />
through the 1912 season, so<br />
barrackers could easily identify<br />
players, which helped with the<br />
creation of the Football Budget<br />
soon after.<br />
Then through the 1960s and<br />
‘70s, supporters proudly wore<br />
their favourite player’s number<br />
on the back of duffel coats, while<br />
in present times, actual replica<br />
guernseys with numbers are the<br />
norm with young fans.<br />
But why do players wear<br />
particular numbers? Is it for luck,<br />
a traditional number, or just the<br />
first one allocated?<br />
Two of the State’s greatest<br />
players, Barrie Robran from<br />
North Adelaide and Port<br />
Adelaide’s Russell Ebert, wore<br />
numbers 10 and seven<br />
respectively. Through winning<br />
seven Magarey Medals between<br />
them, the pair attracted<br />
many young footballers to<br />
those numbers.<br />
Robran’s number 10 at Prospect<br />
went into mothballs when he<br />
retired in 1980, only being<br />
re-issued in 1994 to Josh<br />
Francou, who two seasons<br />
later won the Magarey Medal.<br />
Currently Luke Ivens has<br />
the famous number with<br />
the Roosters.<br />
“Number 10 became my<br />
favourite number when I attained<br />
the age of 10 years,” Robran said.<br />
“I obviously thought at the time it<br />
was a significant milestone in<br />
my life.<br />
“Also around that time (1957),<br />
quite often there appeared<br />
photographs of the great<br />
Josh Willoughby (far right)<br />
Essendon full-forward John<br />
Coleman in the paper taking<br />
‘speccies’. He wore number 10<br />
and I guess this would have<br />
been very impressionable on a<br />
young footy fan.<br />
“I was honoured the club<br />
should retire my number, but<br />
never expected it to be for<br />
any great length of time. The<br />
same thing happened with<br />
Mick Redden’s number (42),<br />
which is now being worn by<br />
Cohen Thiele.<br />
“It is always nice for a<br />
sportsman to wear his favourite<br />
number. Psychologically it just<br />
might aid performance. I wore<br />
number 10 all my football career,<br />
in Whyalla, North Adelaide<br />
and Walkerville.”<br />
Previously number one was<br />
always worn by the captain of<br />
the team, but over the past<br />
couple of decades it has<br />
changed, with only the Port<br />
Adelaide Magpies continuing<br />
the tradition.<br />
Former champion Magpie<br />
premiership captain and recent<br />
coach Tim Ginever wore the<br />
number one guernsey with pride<br />
for four seasons and treasured<br />
the honour.<br />
On his debut in 1984, Ginever<br />
wore number 19 but after seven<br />
games was able to switch<br />
to number two when Brian<br />
Cunningham retired the following<br />
season, as he was a fan<br />
of Darrell Cahill, who wore<br />
it previously.<br />
“When I was made captain it<br />
was a pleasure to wear the<br />
number one on my back for the<br />
most famous club in Australia,”<br />
the gutsy former rover said.<br />
“On a funny note, supporters<br />
had to squint to see it at first,<br />
as I followed big Greg Phillips<br />
as captain.<br />
“It was a sheer honour and<br />
great to carry the responsibility<br />
of having number one on your<br />
back. It helped lift my game to<br />
another level.<br />
“To wear the number one made<br />
the move to captain more<br />
significant than just a title. I’m<br />
surprised more clubs don’t<br />
continue with it.”<br />
At Central District, there are two
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