The allocation of 2014 guernsey numbers has been finalised following this morning’s NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
Local recruit James Battersby will don the No.43 most recently vacated by the departing Aidan Riley, while fellow SA U18 representative Alex Spina will be hoping to follow the footsteps of former rookie-listed player Rory Laird after inheriting the No.46.
Boom WA rookie Charlie Cameron will take No.42 most previously owned by Nick Joyce. The number has been worn by former notable Crows including Chad Rintoul and Justin Cicolella.
Classy left-footer Jake Kelly has been assigned Matthew Wright’s former guernsey No.47.
As confirmed by the Club earlier in the week, 2013 Rising Star nominee Laird will wear the No.29 guernsey with its former owner Sam Kerridge moving lockers to No.17.
Matt Crouch will take over jumper No.44, famously worn in two premierships by defender Peter Caven. 2008 Club Champion Nathan Bock, Stuart Bown, Sean Wellman and Tom Warhurst are the other players to have donned the number in AFL games for Adelaide. It was most recently owned but not wore in a game by rookie Ben Dowdell.
James Podsiadly has moved into the locker next to the eldest Crouch brother, Brad, and will don the No.1
At Geelong, the premiership player wore No.31, which is owned at Adelaide by young midfielder Jarryd Lyons. Previous players to wear the No.1 in an AFL game for the Crows are Richard Tambling, Nick Gill, Andrew Crowell, Lucas Herbert, Greg Anderson and Romano Negri.
The Crows' second pick in last week’s AFL National Draft, Knight will wear No.39. The number was mostly recently owned, but never worn in an official game by rookie Tim Klaosen. Only four players have donned the No.39 for Adelaide; Martin Mattner, Will Young, Linden Stevens and Jonathon Ross.
As previously announced, Eddie Betts will take over the No.18, which was worn in 227 games by his cousin, Crows champion Graham Johncock.