Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 35: Essendon Guernsey Number 35

Don TheStat
4 hours ago
2 min read

With 35 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 35 has been worn by 23 Essendon players, with a history defined by longevity and Premiership success.

The first Bomber to wear the number was Keith Forbes, who played 28 games between 1928 and 1929, kicking 68 goals. Forbes later switched to Guernsey Number 1, where he enjoyed a long Essendon career, making Number 35 the starting point of his time at the club.

The most significant tenure in the jumper belongs to Percy Bushby, who wore Number 35 across 142 games between 1936 and 1948. Bushby was a member of Essendon’s 1942 and 1946 Premiership teams, both won while wearing the jumper, firmly embedding Number 35 in the club’s golden era.

Following Bushby, the number continued to be worn consistently across the 1950s, 60s and 70s by players including Bob Shearman, Geoff Pryor, and Ray Smith, each contributing extended runs in the jumper.

In the modern era, Barry Young wore Number 35 from 1994 to 1999, playing 76 games, before the number passed through shorter stints into the 2010s.

Since 2018, Matt Guelfi has been the modern standard-bearer of Guernsey Number 35 and will continue wearing the jumper into 2026, adding to an already significant body of work.

Guernsey Number 35 stands as a number defined by resilience, consistency, and Premiership success.