Countdown to Round 1, 2026 — Day 9: Essendon Guernsey Number 9

Don TheStat
1 day ago
2 min read

As we continue the Countdown to Round 1, 2026, Day 9 takes us through the long and varied history of Essendon Guernsey Number 9 — a number that has featured in Premiership teams, goal-kickers, and durable club servants.

The first recorded wearer of number 9 was Dan Hanley, who wore it during the 1911 finals series, when numbered jumpers were first introduced at Essendon.

From 1912 onward, the number became a permanent fixture, with Fred Kirkwood wearing it during Essendon’s 1912 Premiership campaign. The early decades saw steady contributors like Percy Martyn, Ned McSweeney, and Arthur Slater, before the number found a natural home with attacking players.

One of the standout early goal-kickers was Ted Bryce, who kicked 120 goals in 72 games between 1939 and 1942, followed closely by Ted Leehane, a key part of Essendon’s 1949 and 1950 Premiership teams.

In the post-war and VFL era, Greg Sewell became synonymous with the number, playing 171 games across the 1950s and early 1960s — the most games ever played by a Bomber in guernsey 9.

The modern era brought toughness and flair. Shane Heard wore the number for more than a decade and was part of the 1984 Premiership side, while Derek Kickett and Che Cockatoo-Collins added excitement and scoreboard impact in the 1990s.

The number featured again in a Premiership with Adam Ramanauskas in 2000, before being worn by Brendon Goddard from 2013 to 2018.

Most recently, Dylan Shiel carried the number from 2019 to 2025, finishing with 99 games in the jumper.

Milestone players in Guernsey 9

50+ games

Ted Bryce (72), Ted Leehane (68), Derek Kickett (77), Che Cockatoo-Collins (85), Dylan Shiel (99)

100+ games

Adam Ramanauskas (134), Brendon Goddard (129)

150+ games

Greg Sewell (171), Shane Heard (157)

Premiership players wearing number 9

Dan Hanley — 1911
Fred Kirkwood — 1912
Ted Leehane — 1949, 1950
Shane Heard — 1984
Adam Ramanauskas — 2000

Guernsey number 9 has quietly built one of the deeper résumés at Essendon — spanning Premiership success, elite goal-kicking, and long-serving club contributors and Sullivan Robey will look to write his own chapter in the number, in 2026 and beyond.