New GC SUNS recruit Nick Malceski has proudly donned the number nine guernsey in all but five matches of his decorated AFL career thus far.

After wearing the number 40 in his debut season with the Sydney Swans in 2005, Malceski switched over to his preferred number nine in 2006 and has never looked back, winning the 2012 AFL Premiership with that number on his back.

With his arrival to the Gold Coast comes one small obstacle – SUNS captain and dual-Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett has firm ownership over the number nine leaving ‘Mal’ a tough decision: what number to wear in 2015?

Nick Malceski needs a new guernsey number for 2015.

If Malceski wants to stick to single digits, the number seven is available after Karmichael Hunt farewelled Gold Coast to chase around a rugby ball with the Queensland Reds next year.

Numbers 14, 21, 29, 31, 34 and 44 are also available in 2015 following the departures of Matthew Warnock, Jeremy Taylor, Tom Murphy, Jackson Allen, Jack Hutchins and Nathan Bock during the off-season.

Number 30, too, remains vacant after Campbell Brown’s delisting at the beginning of 2014.