Macaffer to honour McCarthy in No.3

BRENT Macaffer will wear the No. 3 guernsey this season in honour of former teammate, the late John McCarthy.

McCarthy, who died while on an end of season trip with Port Adelaide teammates in Las Vegas in September 2012, wore the jumper in his final three seasons at Collingwood.

Macaffer, a close mate of McCarthy's, was offered the opportunity to wear the number by coach Nathan Buckley, after donning the No. 30 jumper in the club's 2010 premiership.

"I was thinking about changing numbers at the start of the pre-season," Macaffer told collingwoodfc.com.au.

"Just before Christmas, obviously with J-Mac passing and him wearing the number three, it was the last number he wore before he left, he was a really close mate of mine.

"Before I got to ask Bucks, he called me up and actually asked if I wanted to take that number. It was a nice gesture of him as well, I suppose, to think of me and to do that.

"I straight away said 'yeah, absolutely I’d love to do that,' and to wear the number and sort of represent him on behalf of the boys.

"That was the number he wore last, so I feel really humbled and privileged to do that."

Apart from the obvious connection with McCarthy, Macaffer hopes a change of numbers may bring him a change of luck after having to battle significant injuries in the early parts of his career.

Macaffer failed to play a senior game in 2012, after suffering a torn ACL in the opening minutes of the Magpies' round one NAB Cup game.

In other number changes at Collingwood, second-year forward Jamie Elliott moves from No. 35 to No. 19, with first-round draft choice (No. 16 overall) Brodie Grundy inheriting the iconic No. 35.

As per club tradition, the No. 35 jumper is handed to the club's top draft choice to help them understand "the responsibility of teamsmanship, commitment to the club and professionalism".

Of his fellow draftees, Ben Kennedy will wear No. 27, Tim Broomhead No. 29 and Jackson Ramsay No. 31.

Ben Hudson (No. 25), Kyle Martin (No. 37), Sam Dwyer (No. 41) and Jack Frost (No. 45) have all been handed their new numbers.

Recruits Jordan Russell (Carlton) and Clinton Young (Hawthorn) will wear No. 2 and No. 14 respectively. Quinten Lynch will keep the No. 21 jumper he wore at West Coast.

Collingwood numbers
1. Alex Fasolo
2. Jordan Russell
3. Brent Macaffer
4. Alan Didak
5. Nick Maxwell
6. Tyson Goldsack
7. Andrew Krakouer
8. Harry O’Brien
9. Martin Clarke
10. Scott Pendlebury
11. Jarryd Blair
12. Luke Ball
13. Dale Thomas
14. Clinton Young
15. Jarrod Witts
16. Nathan Brown
17. Dayne Beams
18. Darren Jolly
19. Jamie Elliott
20. Ben Reid
21. Quinten Lynch
22. Steele Sidebottom
23. Lachlan Keeffe
24. Josh Thomas
25. Ben Hudson*
26. Ben Johnson
27. Ben Kennedy
28. Ben Sinclair
29. Tim Broomhead
30. Ben Richmond*
31. Jackson Ramsay
32. Travis Cloke
33. Jackson Paine
34. Alan Toovey
35. Brodie Grundy
36. Dane Swan
37. Kyle Martin*
38. Peter Yagmoor*
39. Heath Shaw
40. Paul Seedsman
41. Sam Dwyer*
42. Retired
43. Adam Oxley*
44. Corey Gault
45. Jack Frost*
46. Marley Williams
47. Michael Hartley*
48. Caolan Mooney*
*Denotes rookie

Ben Guthrie is a reporter for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter- @AFL_BenGuthrie