Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 45: Essendon Guernsey Number 45

With 45 days to go until Essendon’s Round 1 clash against Hawthorn, Don The Stat continues its daily countdown through the club’s guernsey history.

Guernsey Number 45 has been worn by 13 Essendon players, appearing consistently from the late 1960s through to the current playing list.

The first Bomber to wear the number was Peter Daniel, who played six senior games in 1968. Across the following decades, the jumper was worn in short stints by a number of players including Ken Roberts, Geoff Burdett, Justin Stubbs, and Craig O’Brien.

One early wearer, Darren “Daisy” Williams, wore Number 45 briefly in 1979, before switching numbers and later becoming a dual Premiership player in 1984 and 1985, linking the jumper to one of Essendon’s most successful eras.

In the early 1990s, the number was worn by Shane Heard and Mark Mercuri, in Heard’s case he wore 45 on his return, having worn Number 9 to Premiership success. For Mercuri number 45 marked the start of his career, before he became a two time Premiership player in Number 2.

The most significant modern-era wearer of Guernsey Number 45 is Conor McKenna, who wore the jumper from 2015 to 2020, playing 79 senior games, the most by any Essendon player in the number.

The jumper has also been worn by Stewart Crameri, who kicked 34 goals across 23 games in 2010 and 2011, and Alec Waterman, who played 22 games and kicked 27 goals across 2021 and 2022.

The current wearer of Guernsey Number 45 is Tom Edwards, who debuted in 2025, playing two senior games and kicking three goals, and will continue wearing the number into 2026.

Across its history, Guernsey Number 45 has been worn for 171 senior games, growing from a transient jumper into a regular part of Essendon’s modern list.

Next up: Day 44 and Guernsey Number 44.