CARLTON recruit Clem Smith has perhaps the biggest Blues jumper of all to fill, having inherited the No. 25 made famous by club legend Alex Jesaulenko and two-time Coleman medallist Brendan Fevola.
Carlton announced its new jumper numbers for the 2015 season on its club website on Wednesday night.
Most notably, midfielder Patrick Cripps will switch from the No.16 he wore in his debut season to the No. 9 jumper made famous by 1980s premiership defender Ken Hunter, former Swan Matt Dick will wear the No. 31 jumper synonymous with football great Ron Barassi, and Irishman Ciaran Sheehan swaps No. 47 for the No.21 jumper worn by club games record-holder Craig Bradley.
Former Western Bulldogs Liam Jones and Jason Tutt will wear 14 and 22 respectively, while former Giants Kristian Jaksch and Mark Whiley will don No. 18 and No. 24.
Blaine Johnson will take over the No. 30 jumper vacated by Jarrad Waite at the end of last season, having worn 45 in his first season at Visy Park last year, while fellow second-year rookie Ciaran Byrne will swap 48 for 38 in 2015.
Of the Blues' remaining 2014 draftees, their first pick Blaine Boekhorst has been given No. 12, Dillon Viojo-Rainbow No. 16 (previously worn by three-time premiership player Jim Buckley, father of Dylan) and Jayden Foster No. 26.
Rookie Tom Fields will wear the No. 37 jumper made famous by bullocking defender Wayne Harmes in the late 1970s and '80s, while fellow rookies Billy Gowers, Bradley Walsh and Fraser Russell will wear No. 29, No. 34 and No. 47 respectively.
To fully appreciate the significance of the honour bestowed on Smith, who the Blues drafted from Perth with pick No. 60 in last year's national draft, consider some of Jesaulenko's on-field honours: four premierships (1968, 1970, 1972, 1979), 1975 best and fairest winner, two-time All Australian, third in the Brownlow Medal (1967, 1970, 1975), three-time club leading goalscorer (1969-71) and captain (1975-76, 1979).
Jesaulenko was also named in the AFL Team of the Century in 1996 on a half-forward flank – but also starred as a midfielder and defender – and that same year was made an inaugural Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
He also took one of the most famous marks in League history, soaring above Magpie Graeme 'Jerker' Jenkin in the 1970 Grand Final to clutch a game-turning grab.
Smith's talent is undeniable. He was named in the Under-18 All Australian team as an underage player in 2013 and has been likened to former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide premiership defender Byron Pickett.
Alex Jesaulenko with the 1979 premiership cup. Picture: AFL Media
