Countdown to Round 1, 2026. Day 57: Essendon Guernsey Number 57

With 57 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 57 has only ever been worn by one Essendon player at senior level.

The first and only Bomber to wear the number is Ian Anderson, who wore Number 57 in 1967. Anderson played 14 senior games in the jumper and kicked 21 goals, making him the games and goals record holder for Essendon in the number.

Competition-wide records underline just how unique that is: Anderson also holds the all-time VFL/AFL record for both games played and goals kicked while wearing Guernsey Number 57.

Recruited to Essendon from Miga Lake, Anderson made an immediate impact as a forward. After 1967 he switched to Number 25, and early in 1968 produced a standout performance, kicking seven goals against Hawthorn in the opening round.

His football career was interrupted by military service, with Anderson missing the 1969 and 1970 seasons due to war service in Vietnam as a Private with the 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. After returning, he spent one final season at Essendon before continuing his football journey in Western Australia, including representing his adopted state at the 1972 Perth Carnival.

While worn for only one season at Essendon, Guernsey Number 57 remains a distinctive entry in the club’s guernsey history — tied to a player who not only made an impact, but still holds the number’s records across the competition.

Next up: Day 56 and Jumper Number 56.