I emailed the club re: #14.

[Triple B]

I sent the club the following email re the future of the #14 jersey.

Hi,

As a long time and loyal Swans fan I have a suggestion that the club may like to look at regarding the future of the #14 jersey.

Recently on a fan website I'm sure all at Swan's HQ's are aware of (RWO), a lively discussion was held regarding this very topic. It was generally felt from a fans perspective that it would be a shame to retire forever the famous #14, but equally acknowledged that it was going to be a very big ask for any youngster to have to live up to it.

Even though some fans were aghast at 'copying Richmond', I suggested that even though some/most players become attached to their numbers, surely they would see it as an honour to wear the #14 as the captain of our great club.

As pointed out by a poster in the discussion, the #14 was worn by the greatest player ever to pull on the red and white for South Melbourne AND the greatest player ever to pull on the red and white for Sydney. As Sydney tries more and more to embrace the history and traditions of the South Melbourne Football Club, eg. the SMFC on the back of the current strip, this should be seen as another attempt at linking the entities even further.

My further suggestion is that when a player becomes captain, THEIR number is retired until such time as they are no longer captain.

For instance, if Stuey decides to play another season as captain next year and wears the #14, his #11 would be retired. If he then retires at the end of 2005 and for arguments sake Jude Bolton becomes captain #24 would be retired until Judes reign is finished and #11 is returned to the system for one of our promising youngsters. With this system, if for some reason a player relinquishes the captaincy but continues playing, perhaps at the end of a career, they revert to their original number.

Run this past Stuey. Modesty may prevent him from wanting to accept it, but I would hope he is wise enough to see the big picture, as I'm sure he is. I would hope that Skilts and Kel would be involved as well. I would certainly hope they support the initiative and Kel may be required to 'lean' on Stuey if he is reticent.

Hoping to at least get a response from the club.

Regards


Let's sit back and see what response we get from the club.

PS. Just threw in Jude as next captain to appease all the girls on the board. Oh and Reggi too!!!

[swansrule100]

good letter

[anniswan]

I think that this idea has merit, I just wonder if players get really attached to their numbers after quite a few years of wearing it. I know Schnieder changed his no but that was really early on.

I am not sure if Jooba or Stewie would want to change their no. Maybe they would, I don't really know.

My son was really attached to wearing No4 as he wore it for 3 years, this year due to new jumpers being bought he is in No 18, he would have really liked to have had no 4 but the jumpers were too small.

AS

[swansrule100]

some players prolly care more than others... eg ben matthews only wears even numbers doesnt he?

[Triple B]

Thx for the feedback.

Nothing from the club as yet, but it early days.

[Reggi]

Re: I emailed the club re: #14.

Originally posted by BBB
PS. Just threw in Jude as next captain to appease all the girls on the board. Oh and Reggi too!!!

IIRC FSC was awarded by Bron

[Mark]

Sounds good to me BBB

Although i think 44 should be retired forever in memory of the great Gerrard Bennett !

And Anniswan, seeing as your his neighbour and all is DRJ still alive ? he was somewhat distressed after the Richmond loss !
I was thinking of putting a suicide watch on him !

[liz]

Originally posted by Mark
Sounds good to me BBB

Although i think 44 should be retired forever in memory of the great Gerrard Bennett !

Didn't the great Gerard wear 42?

[anniswan]

Originally posted by Mark

And Anniswan, seeing as your his neighbour and all is DRJ still alive ? he was somewhat distressed after the Richmond loss !
I was thinking of putting a suicide watch on him !

Water off a ducks back to DrJ, he no longer watches the games, but he was alive and kicking last sunday.

Reggi, I have sent you a private message.

AS

[juliec]

BBB, What a great letter, I was lucky enough to see Bob Skilton wear that Number14, in my mind the greatest swan of all, although Paul kelly came in a very close second. I agree with you, 14 has definitely been a number to go to our leader.

[Swansinger]

The debate about players' numbers is a waste of time.
The "tradition" of retiring and re-allocating numbers is an American one.
It has no place in a uniquely Australian sport.

So what if 14 was worn by Kelly?
Would anyone look at the new 14 , watch him have a bad game and think "oohh , he should have played better , ' cos Kelly would have"?
Would Kelly himself feel insulted by seeing an 'ordinary' player wear 14 ? I doubt it - and if he did , well , he shouldn't.

Would wearing 14 inspire a new player ? Does wearing 4 mean we expect Benny to kick a bag every week ?
Do we expect Barry Hall to be a champion CHB just because he wears number 1 ?
Is Adam Schneider the new Frosty ?

Really , the shape of a bit of dyed cotton on a player's back is neither here nor there.

[swansrule100]

rubbish..... they dont even put the number 5 locker with the lockers at geelong cos of ablett and farmer... every team has the good players with each number (eg lots of games , b&f winner , premiership player) on the lockers and stuff

its about respecting tradition, the club has to remember its greats and its past or whats the point.?

if the numbers and stuff mean nothing then i spose long gone premiership flags mean nothing? perhaps thats a bit extreme, but the history of a club is important and that includes who had what number, you hear players talk about it all the time

[Swansinger]

Originally posted by swansrule100


.... but the history of a club is important and that includes who had what number, you hear players talk about it all the time

Then it's high time AUSTRALIAN Rules players stopped being influenced by American traditions.

[swansrule100]

what?
whats its got to do with america????
retiring the jumper would be the american thing to do....

and who cares where its from???

do you boycott mcdonalds cos its an american tradition???

who cares where it comes from if its a good idea?

[dendol]

Originally posted by Swansinger
The debate about players' numbers is a waste of time.
The "tradition" of retiring and re-allocating numbers is an American one.
It has no place in a uniquely Australian sport.

So what if 14 was worn by Kelly?
Would anyone look at the new 14 , watch him have a bad game and think "oohh , he should have played better , ' cos Kelly would have"?
Would Kelly himself feel insulted by seeing an 'ordinary' player wear 14 ? I doubt it - and if he did , well , he shouldn't.

Would wearing 14 inspire a new player ? Does wearing 4 mean we expect Benny to kick a bag every week ?
Do we expect Barry Hall to be a champion CHB just because he wears number 1 ?
Is Adam Schneider the new Frosty ?

Really , the shape of a bit of dyed cotton on a player's back is neither here nor there.

you have no idea.

Its been a long-time tradition to respect past players and the numbers they wore. Its not something the media or supporters harp on, its the players' themselves. If you think that the next kid to get asked to wear the #14 will just see it as a "bit of dyed cotton" on his back, you really need your head checked.

And the examples you used with Plugger's #4 and Roos' #1 makes absoutely no sense. The next #14 doesnt have to be a midfielder, but we'd still expect him to show the courage and heart that our previous champions in that number had played with.

And since when does everything have to be america vs australia?