Horror Jumper Numbers

[bulldogtragic]

I was thinking about some of not so great jumper numbers. It might be a jumper number that's been horrible for the club, or horrible for the players individually, or both. There's a few numbers that come quick to mind.

But for my nomination, it occurred to me that jumper #14 has had 5 season ending ACL injuries in only 10 years (mid 2005 - mid 2015). Darcy with two, then Smith with 3. That's an ACL on average every 2 years for the wearer of this number, if I were Smith I'd change to anything now.

Not only a horror for them, but as high end talent, a horror for the club. When Smith retires one day, as a new draftee I wouldn't touch #14 with a barge pole.

[Webby]

I wouldn't say it was cursed, but the famous, coveted Sutton, Bissett, Johnson, Dahlhaus number 6 guernsey had some barren years!

After Bisset gave it up (and broke hearts!) to take up the Collingwood number 4 guernsey, it had some very tough years indeed! Not to mention the times following Charlie..

Eon Densworth, Bobby Clark and Keith Beamish didn't play much more than 30 odd games between them in it. Then, along came local boy, George Bissett to do the guernsey justice. Wee Georgie was a champion. Multiple club b&f and should have won a Brownlow in the late 1960's. However when he moved to Collingwood for coin and finals footy in 1973, the Guernsey went through some lean times!

Charles Pagnocollo grabbed it in '73 and wore it without distinction. When a child prodigy called Kelvin Templeton came to Footscray in 1974, Graeme Austin vacated his #31 to take up the 6 guernsey- and promptly ended his career in it...

In 1975, gun SA recruit Neil Sachse adopted it. Tragically breaking his neck and becoming a quadriplegic in his second game. His number 6 can be found cut by surgical scissors in the club museum.

The following year, we recruited the very solid Kenny Newlands from Geelong. After the club imploded as a result of a war between the social club and the footy club, Newlands handed back his number 6 and returned to Geelong after just one season wearing it..!

Following Newlands, we gave the number 6 a breather for a couple of years. Finally allocating it to solid recruit - North Melbourne premiership player, Gary Cowton. Cowton followed the Newlands path out of the club - moving back to his old club, but via South Melbourne!

Following Cowton and Newlands, we decided to allocate the jumper to a boom home grown talent - Alister Ford. The club held high hopes for Ford, even featuring him taking a rare mark on the front of our 1984 membership card... Unfortunately Ford was a dud and we shipped him off to St Kilda in 1986 in return for Max Crow - who played a mediocre 12 games in the number 6 jumper...

After Crow, we gave the jumper to journeyman, Shane Williams - who wore it a forgettable 13 times. Then along came Stuart Wigney - who showed promise and looked like he'd finally do the number 6 some credit. However he faded away and was shipped off to the Swans, then Crows, then Richmond. Tony Campbell parked his BMW at WO for a couple of years, but was hardly a died in the wool fan favourite!

..... Then, finally, in 1995 the Guernsey found its way onto the back of local boy and future champ, Brad Johnson. Johnson then wisely handed it onto hard as nails, future champion rover, Luke Dahlhaus...

.... And the club was cooking again! Number 6 is almost the Dogs' barometer!