Countdown to Round 1, 2026 - Day 19: Essendon Guernsey Number 19

Don TheStat
6 hours ago
2 min read

With 19 days to go until Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, the Don The Stat Guernsey Countdown continues with one of the club’s most historically rich numbers — Guernsey Number 19.

The number was first worn by Dick Monteith during the 1911 finals series, when Essendon first introduced jumper numbers. Monteith’s appearance would culminate in a 1911 Premiership, making Number 19 a Premiership jumper from its very first outing.

In the following decade, Les White wore the number from 1912 to 1915 and was part of the 1912 Premiership side, further embedding the jumper into Essendon’s early success.

Across the mid-20th century, Jack Cassin became the defining figure of the number, playing 150 games in 19 and winning Premierships in 1942 and 1946.

Another unique chapter came with the Somerville family. John Somerville wore Number 19 through the 1960s and was a member of the 1962 Premiership side. His son, Peter Somerville, later wore the same number from 1989 to 1999 and added a 1993 Premiership, making them one of Essendon’s rare father-son Premiership combinations in the same guernsey number.

From a statistical perspective, Robin Close remains one of the most prolific goal kickers in the number, finishing with 233 goals, ranking 10th all-time in VFL/AFL history for Guernsey Number 19.

In the modern era, David Hille became the longest-serving Bomber in the number, playing 197 games between 2001 and 2013.

Most recently, Nick Hind wore the jumper from 2021 to 2024. The number passed to Kayle Gerreyn in 2025, though he did not play a senior game that season and will continue wearing Number 19 into 2026.

Milestone Players in Guernsey Number 19

50+ games (3) Les White (58), Norm Simpson (77), Nick Hind (74)
100+ games (3) John Somerville (106), Robin Close (147), Doug Bigelow (148)
150+ games (3) Jack Cassin (150), Peter Somerville (156), David Hille (197)