Number 33: Brayden George was presented with his guernsey by North Melbourne legend Anthony Stevens last week. He will wear the number 33 most well known for being worn by dual premireship player, 200-gamer and mark of the year winner Brett Allison.
Photo by
Dylan Burns
Girgarre’s Brayden George was presented with his new guernsey number by North Melbourne Team of the Century member Anthony Stevens last week.
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George, who was selected at number 26 in the draft after sliding down the order as a result of a ACL tear during last season while playing with the Murray Bushrangers, will wear number 33 with the Kangaroos.
He is not expected to feature with the Kangaroos until late in the season after having surgery on his knee in September last year.
Stevens presented the new additions on the Kangaroos list with their numbers, flanked by football chief Todd Viney and coach Alistair Clarkson.
Stevens played 275 games for the Kangaroos in guernsey number 10, eighth on the all time games list, picked at number 18 in the 1988 national draft.
He won two best-and-fairest awards, the second in a premiership year and is a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Clarkson said, during the presentation, that he considered George to be a real find as he slipped down the order at the national draft.
“We had him rated in the top dozen players in the draft and to get him at number 26 was a real coup,” Clarkson said.
Mark of the year: The last Kangaroo to wear the number 33 for any length of time was dual premiership player and 200-gamer Brett Allison, who took mark of the year in 1991 against Collingwood.
Brett Allison, who took mark of the year in 1991, has played the most games in the number 33 and was a member of two premierships (1996-99). He played 219 games and kicked 276 goals for the Kangaroos.
Cyril Rioli is probably the most famous number 33 in the history of the VFL/AFL, a four-time premiership player and Norm Smith medallist, who won three All-Australian gongs.
David Cloke has played the most games in the number 33 (290, and 312 goals), for Richmond and Collingwood, while Melbourne/Fremantle goal-sneak Jeff Farmer has kicked the most goals (422) wearing the double digits.
He is just ahead of another goal-kicking great, West Coast’s Phillip Matera (389 goals).
Former Richmond captain Matthew Knights, Brisbane premiership player Darryl White, Geelong’s Bruce Nankervis and Western Bulldogs great Brian Royal are others to have worn the number 33 with distinction at the top level.
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