Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 42: Essendon Guernsey Number 42

Don TheStat
5 days ago
2 min read

With 42 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 42 is one of the most frequently worn high numbers in Essendon history, having been used by 18 players across more than six decades.

The first Bomber to wear the number was Kevin Egan, who played four senior games between 1963 and 1964. Egan later wore Number 43, which he pulled on in Essendon’s 1965 Premiership side, creating a direct link between the early history of the two jumpers.

Across the late 1960s and 1970s, the jumper was worn regularly by players including Eddie Lake, Stuart Barclay, John Cassin, Terry Cahill, and Russell Muir, with Muir playing 67 games between 1977 and 1981.

In 1983, Darren “Daisy” Williams wore Number 42 for 10 senior games, having worn Number 43 the previous season. Williams later became a dual Premiership player in 1984 and 1985, though not while wearing this jumper.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s, Number 42 was worn by players such as Dean Bailey, Peter Somerville, Glenn Kilpatrick, Jason Johnson, and Danny Jacobs. Somerville would later switch to Number 19 and become part of Essendon’s 1993 Premiership side. Jason Johnson would move to Number 14 ahead of becoming a member of the 2000 Premiership side.

Milestone players in Guernsey Number 42

50+ games Russell Muir (67 games), Adam Saad (61 games)
100+ games Nathan Lovett-Murray (145 games)

The longest-serving and most influential wearer of Guernsey Number 42 is Nathan Lovett-Murray, who wore the jumper from 2004 to 2013, playing 145 senior games and kicking 73 goals, firmly defining the modern identity of the number, and he retired having played the 6th most games and kicked the 4th most goals in VFL/AFL History in the Number 42.

In recent years, the jumper has been worn by James Gwilt, Adam Saad, Sam Durham, Massimo D’Ambrosio, and Jayden Nguyen, who debuted in 2025 and will continue wearing the number into 2026.