Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 47: Essendon Guernsey Number 47

With 47 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 47 has been worn by 14 Essendon players at senior level, appearing consistently across more than sixty years of the club’s history.

The first Bomber to wear the number was Barry Capuano, who played 10 senior games in 1959, kicking three goals.

Across the following decades, the jumper was worn by a series of players in short stints, including Robert Thompson, Larry Watson, Mark Eustice, Chris Waterson, and Paul Morrish, before settling for a longer period with Ricky Olarenshaw.

Olarenshaw is the longest-serving wearer of Guernsey Number 47, playing 77 senior games between 1993 and 1998. Olarenshaw was part of Essendon’s 1993 Premiership team, giving the jumper a connection to Premiership success.

In the modern era, Guernsey Number 47 continued to be used regularly. Cory Dell’Olio wore the jumper in 2012 and 2013, kicking 12 goals, while Patrick Ambrose played 16 games in 2014, kicking 13 goals, before becoming a long-term defender in another number.

The jumper was worn by James Kelly across 2016 and 2017 for 40 games, providing experience during a rebuilding period. More recently, Jye Menzie wore Number 47 from 2022 to 2024, playing 37 games and kicking 27 goals, Menzie’s 37 games in Number 47 are the 8th most in VFL/AFL History, James Kelly (7th) and Ricky Olarenshaw (3rd) also feature in the Top 10 in the Number 47.

The most recent wearer was Oskar Smartt, who played four games in 2025.

Across its history, Guernsey Number 47 has been worn for 223 senior games, making it one of Essendon’s most utilised high-number jumpers.

Next up: Day 46 and Guernsey Number 46.