Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 26: Essendon Guernsey Number 26

Don TheStat
1 day ago
2 min read

With 26 days to go until Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, Don The Stat continues its daily journey through Essendon’s guernsey history.

Guernsey Number 26 has been worn by Essendon players across every era of the club’s VFL/AFL history and is strongly associated with goal-scoring excellence, leadership, and Premiership success.

The jumper found its first defining custodian in Ted Freyer, who wore #26 from 1929 to 1937, playing 124 games and kicking 372 goals. Freyer ranks third all-time for goals kicked in Guernsey Number 26 across VFL/AFL history, making him one of the most prolific forwards ever to wear the number.

Following Freyer, Bob Syme wore the jumper from 1947 to 1953, playing 98 games and contributing to Essendon’s 1949 and 1950 Premiership teams.

The modern identity of Guernsey Number 26 is inseparable from Mark Thompson, who wore the number from 1983 to 1996, playing 202 games. Thompson was a Premiership player in 1984, 1985 and 1993, captaining the club in the celebrated 1993 Baby Bombers Premiership.

The jumper then passed to Chris Heffernan, who wore #26 across two stints and played 123 games, before being taken up by Cale Hooker. Hooker wore Guernsey Number 26 from 2008 to 2021, playing 219 games, making him the longest-serving modern wearer of the jumper.

A special place in the number’s story belongs to Robert Shaw, who wore #26 from 1974 to 1981, playing 51 games. Shaw is affectionately regarded as the godfather of Don The Stat, adding a unique connection between the jumper and the project itself.