The Gold Coast SUNS has announced the numbers the player’s will wear on their jumpers during the club’s inaugural AFL Premiership Season.
Gold Coast SUNS Football Manager Marcus Ashcroft said the allocation of player numbers is a longstanding tradition in AFL and the GC SUNS took it seriously.
“Karmichael Hunt had first choice,” he said. “He’s taken a huge step from rugby league to AFL and we felt the significance of his commitment deserved recognition.”
“After that we gave the uncontracted player signings the chance to choose a number. They made a bold and courageous decision to make the switch to a brand new club and, as with Karmichael, we thought their commitment also warranted recognition.”
“Thereafter came the Queenslanders in order of their signing with the club. We are a Queensland based club, and many of our local boys have been here from the very start. Their contribution has been enormous in the context of our club’s early moments and that also deserved to be recognised.”
While many players will choose the number worn by a playing hero, or a club level mentor, or even make a choice based upon superstition, for Karmichael Hunt the decision was much easier.
“It’s simply a case of number 7 always being my favourite number,” Hunt said.
“It was my mother’s favourite number too. So for that reason, number 7 just felt right,” he said.
For Josh Fraser, who wore number 26 and Collingwood, the decision had an underlying personal basis.
“My son Ted’s birthday is the 7th of October,” he said. “So I added the 7 and the 10 together to give me 17.”
Uncontracted player signings Campbell Brown, Nathan Bock and Michael Rischitelli will carry the same numbers they wore on their jumpers at previous clubs – numbers 30, 44 and 35 respectively.
Gary Ablett will wear number 9 having worn 29 at Geelong. Nathan Krakouer, who wore number 7 at Port Adelaide, will take a new number – 14.
Jared Brennan (3) and Jarrod Harbrow (5) will also take new numbers.
A full list of player numbers follows:
Gold Coast SUNS 2011 AFL Premiership Playing List
Marc Lock 1
Zac Smith 2
Jared Brennan 3
Maverick Weller 4
Jarrod Harbrow 5
Alik Magin 6
Karmichael Hunt 7
Luke Russell 8
Gary Ablett 9
Lewis Moss 10
Jack Stanlake 12
Hayden Jolly 13
Nathan Krakouer 14
Piers Flanagan 15
Rory Thompson 16
Josh Fraser 17
Trent Mckenzie 18
Joe Daye 19
Joshua Toy 20
Daniel Harris 21
Tom Nicholls 22
Charlie Dixon 23
David Swallow 24
Danny Stanley 25
Matt Shaw 26
Michael Coad 27
Roland AhChee 28
Taylor Hine 29
Campbell Brown 30
Jack Stanley 31
Brandon Matera 32
Rex Liddy 33
Jack Hutchins 34
Michael Rischetelli 35
Sam Iles 36
Harley Benell 37
Joel Wilkinson 38
Sam Day 39
Tom Hickey 40
Dion Prestia 41
Josh Caddy 42
Liam Patrick 43
Nathan Bock 44
Steven May 45
Tom Lynch 46
Daniel Gorringe 47
Seb Tape 48
Jacob Gilbee 49
Jeremy Taylor 50
Jake Crawford 51
Joel Tippett 52
Alex Keath 53
Nathan Ablett 55
The entire playing list will have a two-week break over Christmas before recommencing full training in early January.
The GC SUNS first pre-season NAB Cup game is scheduled for 19 February, 2011 at Blacktown Olympic Park.
