“You do not change your premiership number!”
That’s the message former North Melbourne and Geelong premiership forward Cam Mooney has for Richmond flag-winning pair Dan Butler and Jason Castagna.
Housemates Butler and Castagna played crucial roles in attack in the Tigers drought-breaking premiership win this year, but have opted to change their guernsey numbers heading into 2018.
Butler, who has worn No.40 since being drafted out of North Ballarat in 2014, has made the move to No.7 – which was left vacant when Ben Lennon was delisted post-season, while Castagna takes over Jake Bachelor’s No.11 having donned No.46 for the past two seasons.
“You do not, I repeat, you do not change your premiership number,” Mooney said on SEN Drive.
“It’s your premiership number – you’ve won a premiership. You’ve now got your name on the locker…you are now etched into history of your football club wearing this number.
“And now you’ve gone and changed it. I can’t believe it. I was ropeable with them!
“Everyone likes to get that lower number, but once you win a premiership that’s it. That’s your number.”
Western Bulldogs 2016 premiership player Josh Dunkley is another who will don a different guernsey number in 2018 to the one he wore in the flag side, having switched from No.20 to Matthew Boyd’s No.5.
“I know the No.5 is a great number at the Bulldogs and I’m sure these numbers are great numbers and they’ve got history towards them and great players, but it’s your number and you won on the sacred day,” Mooney said.
“It’s the greatest day of your life when you’re a sportsman – winning a premiership with all your mates and that is your number.”
Richmond also today announced that the club’s top draft pick, Jack Higgins, will don No.28 with Callum Coleman-Jones inheriting Butler’s No.40 and Ben Miller taking Castagna’s No.46.
Noah Balta (38), Patrick Naish (45), Liam Baker (48) and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (43) round out the new faces at Tigerland.