Countdown to Round 1, 2026 — Day 5: Essendon Guernsey Number 5

Don TheStat
4 days ago
2 min read

Day 5 of the Countdown to Round 1, 2026 brings us to Essendon Guernsey Number 5, one of the most prestigious jumpers the club has ever issued.

The first Essendon player to wear number 5 was Fred Baring, who wore it during the 1911 finals series, when numbered guernseys were first introduced. Baring wore the number in 108 games across two stints, and wore the jumper in four Premiership seasons — 1911, 1912, 1923 and 1924.

The number became a symbol of leadership in the post-war era through David Shaw, who played 156 games between 1959 and 1968, including the 1962 Premiership. Shaw remained closely tied to the club after retirement, later serving as Essendon president from 1993 to 1996.

The jumper’s modern legacy is defined by two names.

First, Terry Daniher, who wore number 5 for 294 games from 1978 to 1992, captaining Essendon to Premierships in 1984 and 1985 and finishing with 447 career goals.

Then came James Hird, who wore the number from 1993 to 2007, playing 249 games, captaining the club to the 2000 Premiership, winning the Brownlow Medal in 1996, and the Norm Smith Medal in 2000. Hird’s résumé places him firmly among the greatest players in AFL history.