Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 29: Essendon Guernsey Number 29

Don TheStat
1 day ago
2 min read

With 29 days to go until Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, Don The Stat continues its daily countdown through Essendon’s guernsey history.

Guernsey Number 29 has a rich and varied Essendon history, spanning early VFL football, dominant goalkicking eras, Premiership success, and even a unique family link to the most famous name in club history.

The first recorded wearer of #29 was Billy Griffith, who wore the number from 1912 to 1913 and became the first Premiership player in the jumper as part of Essendon’s 1912 Premiership team.

The defining figure of Guernsey 29 is Tom Reynolds, who wore the number from 1937 to 1944 and produced one of the most extraordinary goalkicking records in club history: 109 games and 361 goals. Reynolds also wore #29 in Essendon’s 1942 Premiership side, embedding the number in a golden era of success.

Decades later, the number resurfaced with a special link to the Reynolds family legacy. Joel Reynolds, who wore #29 from 2002 to 2006, is the grandson of Dick Reynolds, making him the great nephew of Tom Reynolds — the dominant #29 goalkicker. Two Reynolds men, separated by generations, tied to the same jumper number in red and black.

Guernsey 29 also features strongly in modern Premiership history.

David Grenvold wore #29 across 112 games (1989–1990, 1992–1996) and wore the jumper in Essendon’s 1993 Premiership team.
Gary Moorcroft wore #29 from 1998 to 2002, playing 83 games and kicking 95 goals, and wore the number in Essendon’s 2000 Premiership side.

Most recently, Guernsey 29 was worn by Jye Menzie in 2025, before he finished his time at Essendon at the end of the season.

Milestone players in Guernsey Number 29

50+ games (4) Gary Moorcroft (83), Patrick Amrose (72), Jake Kelly (58), Kevin Egan (53)
100+ games (3) David Grenvold (112), Tom Reynolds (109), Alwyn Davey (100)

Guernsey Number 29 stands as a number tied to Premiership wins, major contributors, and a uniquely Essendon family connection that stretches across the decades.