Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 49: Essendon Guernsey Number 49

With 49 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 49 has been worn by eight Essendon players at senior level, often serving as a starting point before players moved into more permanent numbers.

The first Bomber to wear the number was Geoff Gosper, who played one senior game in 1960. The jumper then appeared through the early 1970s, worn by Mick Bates, Bruce Brown, and Ron Andrews, who combined for 10 senior games between 1971 and 1973.

In 1980, Barry Besanko wore Number 49 for three games, kicking three goals, before the jumper reappeared in 1991 with Paul Hills. Hills played 14 senior games in Number 49 early in his career before switching numbers and later becoming a 1993 Premiership player wearing Number 11.

The number also holds an important place in Essendon history as the debut guernsey of James Hird, who wore Number 49 for four games in 1992, kicking five goals, before moving into Number 5 and going on to win two Premierships and a Brownlow Medal.

The longest-serving Essendon player in Guernsey Number 49 is Matt Dea, who wore the jumper for 39 senior games between 2016 and 2018.

Across its history, Guernsey Number 49 has been worn for 71 senior games, making it a number closely associated with early-career opportunities and future success elsewhere.

Next up: Day 48 and Guernsey Number 48.