Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 2: Essendon Guernsey Number 2

With two days to go until Essendon opens the 2026 season against Hawthorn, Don The Stat continues its guernsey countdown with one of the club’s most enduring numbers — Guernsey Number 2.

The jumper has been worn consistently since numbers were introduced and has featured prominently across Essendon’s history.

Guernsey Number 2 was first worn in 1911, when jumper numbers were introduced during the finals series. The first Bomber to wear the number was Bill Busbridge, who pulled it on in Essendon’s 1911 Premiership victory over Collingwood.

Across the decades, the number has passed through many hands — sometimes briefly, sometimes for long stretches — often landing on players trusted with durability and responsibility.

Milestone players in Guernsey Number 2

50+ games 

Rob Newton, Tom Bellchambers, Sam Draper

100+ games

Howard Okey, Keith Rawle, Stan Booth, Ricky Dyson

200+ games 

Mark Mercuri

The longest-serving wearer of Guernsey Number 2 is Mark Mercuri, who played 204 games in the jumper between 1993 and 2004, a record that still stands.

Premiership players in Guernsey Number 2

The jumper has been worn in Essendon Premiership teams across multiple eras:

• 1911 & 1912 — Bill Busbridge, Lou Armstrong

• 1923 — Howard Okey

• 1942, 1946 & 1949 — Keith Rawle

• 1984 — Bryan Wood

• 1993 & 2000 — Mark Mercuri

In recent seasons, Guernsey Number 2 was worn by Ricky Dyson, Tom Bellchambers, and Sam Draper, with Draper finishing his Essendon career at the end of 2025.

The jumper will have a new wearer in 2026, with Jacob Farrow set to take over the number.

From Essendon’s earliest Premiership to the modern era, Guernsey Number 2 remains one of the club’s most historically significant jumpers.

Next up: Day 1 and Jumper Number 1.