Essendon’s Stewart Crameri has capped off his brilliant breakout 2011 season, being handed the club's No.12 guernsey.
Crameri wore No.45 in his first two years at the Bombers but will take on the number vacated by Andrew Welsh, who retired at the end of the season after 162 games with the club.
It marks a superb rise for the former rookie, who in 2011 was elevated to the senior list and signed a two-year contract extension tying him to the club until the end of 2013.
Crameri, who led Essendon's goalkicking with 34 goals from 20 games in 2011, said he was pleased to make the number switch – the only major change at the club this season.
""I talked to the coaches and discussed it after we learnt that Andrew was going to retire, and we went towards me taking it on,"" Crameri said.
""I asked Andrew and he said he'd be more than happy to hand it over to me.""
Crameri added it was a thrill to inherit the number from his former teammate.
""He was a very passionate and loyal player at the club and he made sure that everyone was as passionate as he was,"" Crameri said
""Hopefully I can do the same things he did at the club.""
The new additions to Essendon's list have been assigned their 2012 numbers, with first-round draft choice Elliott Kavanagh given number No.28.
Jackson Merrett and Nick O'Brien will take over No.33 and No.35 respectively, while rookies Lauchlan Dalgleish (36), Brendan Lee (41), Hal Hunter (45), Mark Baguley (46) and Cory Dell'Olio (47) round out the new numbers.
For the first time since 1986, there will be no player wearing No.1 at Essendon.
Crameri is set to debut his new number in February's NAB Cup, with the athletic forward recovering well from a shoulder reconstruction at the end of last season.
""I'm doing all the competitive drills now so I should be fine for the start of the NAB Cup,"" he said.
Crameri wore No.45 in his first two years at the Bombers but will take on the number vacated by Andrew Welsh, who retired at the end of the season after 162 games with the club.
It marks a superb rise for the former rookie, who in 2011 was elevated to the senior list and signed a two-year contract extension tying him to the club until the end of 2013.
Crameri, who led Essendon's goalkicking with 34 goals from 20 games in 2011, said he was pleased to make the number switch – the only major change at the club this season.
""I talked to the coaches and discussed it after we learnt that Andrew was going to retire, and we went towards me taking it on,"" Crameri said.
""I asked Andrew and he said he'd be more than happy to hand it over to me.""
Crameri added it was a thrill to inherit the number from his former teammate.
""He was a very passionate and loyal player at the club and he made sure that everyone was as passionate as he was,"" Crameri said
""Hopefully I can do the same things he did at the club.""
The new additions to Essendon's list have been assigned their 2012 numbers, with first-round draft choice Elliott Kavanagh given number No.28.
Jackson Merrett and Nick O'Brien will take over No.33 and No.35 respectively, while rookies Lauchlan Dalgleish (36), Brendan Lee (41), Hal Hunter (45), Mark Baguley (46) and Cory Dell'Olio (47) round out the new numbers.
For the first time since 1986, there will be no player wearing No.1 at Essendon.
Crameri is set to debut his new number in February's NAB Cup, with the athletic forward recovering well from a shoulder reconstruction at the end of last season.
""I'm doing all the competitive drills now so I should be fine for the start of the NAB Cup,"" he said.
