Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 41: Essendon Guernsey Number 41

With 41 days to go until Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, Don The Stat continues its daily countdown through the club’s guernsey history.

Guernsey Number 41 has been worn by 19 Essendon players since first appearing in the early 1960s, often serving as a transitional jumper early in players’ careers.

The first Bomber to wear #41 was John Welsh, who played two senior games in 1961. Over the next decade, the number was worn in short stints by players including Bill Lieschke, Roger Hampson, Neville Fields, and Bruce Dodson.

The longest early tenure in the jumper came from Dean Hartigan, who wore Number 41 across 36 games between 1974 and 1977.

Across the late 1980s and early 1990s, the number continued to circulate, worn by players such as Andrew Manning, who kicked 20 goals from 25 games, and Ryan O’Connor, who added 16 goals from 22 games in the mid-1990s.

In 2002, Andrew Welsh wore Guernsey Number 41 for 15 games before switching to Number 12. Welsh went on to play 162 senior games, and now serves as President of the Essendon Football Club.

Welsh’s career total mirrors that of Kevin Walsh, who also played 162 senior games for Essendon. Walsh wore Number 41 for a single game early in his career before switching to Number 30, where he became a member of Essendon’s 1984 and 1985 Premiership sides.

In more recent years, the jumper has been worn by Andrew Lovett, Michael Quinn, Will Hams, Ben McNiece, and Saad El-Hawli, who debuted in the number in 2025 and will continue wearing it into 2026.

Guernsey Number 41 may not be defined by longevity in the number itself, but it has played a recurring role at the beginning of careers that went on to leave a lasting mark on the club.

Next up: Day 40 and Guernsey Number 40.