Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 32: Essendon Guernsey Number 32

Don TheStat
4 hours ago
2 min read

With 32 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 32 has been worn by some of the club’s most enduring figures and has featured prominently in Premiership success across multiple eras.

The first recorded Bomber to wear the number was Norm McLean in 1920, but the jumper soon found stability through Len Webster, who wore #32 from 1927 to 1938, playing 145 games.

The most influential early-era wearer was Barry Davis, who played 218 games in Number 32 between 1961 and 1972. Davis was a key member of Essendon’s 1962 and 1965 Premiership sides, firmly embedding the jumper in the club’s success.

The defining chapter of Guernsey Number 32 belongs to Tim Watson. Wearing the number across 307 games, Watson was part of Essendon’s 1984, 1985 and 1993 Premiership teams, and famously debuted at just 15 years and 305 days old, making him the second youngest player in VFL/AFL history. Competition wide, only Mark Ricciuto has played more games and only Travis Cloke has kicked more goals in Number 32.

In the modern era, Justin Blumfield carried the jumper from 1997 to 2002, winning a Premiership in 2000 while wearing Number 32. Travis Colyer later wore the number across 87 games, before it was passed on again.