EVERY footballer has a connection to the number on their back.

It reminds them of a place, a time, a person, a game, a moment.

It represents a player's journey, each unique, and forms part of their football identity.

That's why this season St Kilda defender Bianca Jakobsson changed her number from No.8 to No.35.

The timing felt right for Jakobsson to return to the number she had worn throughout her entire junior years and early into her NAB AFLW career.

The sudden passing of her dad in 2023 lit the spark that eventually prompted the 33-year-old's return to the number that means so much.

"Dad passed in 2023, and I was just feeling like (the number) 35 was just a really big connection, not only for me, but to him as well," Jakobsson said.

"Him obviously being there when I first got the number, and him watching me play a lot of footy in that number.

"I'm a bit older now, so I don't know how many years I have left, and I just really wanted to finish my career playing in that number and playing in something that's meant a massive amount to me, for over 20 years now."

Jakobsson grew up in Langwarrin, in Melbourne's outer south-east, and spent her junior years playing at Narre Warren South, the closest girls club to her home.

"I just pulled a random jersey out of this big hessian bag and was looking for a small (size), and it was number 35," Jakobsson said.

"I've just had that ever since throughout my whole junior career. I had it at Carlton, but when I came to Melbourne, Cat Phillips had it, and then I came to St Kilda, and Cat Phillips had it."

After Phillips left the Saints, Jakobsson didn't immediately swap numbers.

"When Cat left, I felt somewhat attached to the No.8, more so because I was used to my locker. You get used to the locker spot and who's around you," she recalled.  

"I went to change it last year, but it was too late. But now I'm back in it, it just feels like home – it feels right when I see it. It's just really nice to be back in it and feel connected to that."

Jakobsson's dad, Ken, was a huge supporter of her football career growing up and through her time playing AFLW.

"Dad played a massive role in my football," Jakobsson said.

"My mum passed when I was 10, so he was mum and dad for me up until I was 30.

"He was always encouraging. He didn't even think twice about me playing footy. He just wanted me to have fun.

"It was never a thing that I was a girl playing footy. I didn't feel that growing up. I just felt supported."

It was a surprise to everyone when Jakobsson's father was diagnosed with cancer in early 2023.

"It was very out of the blue. He passed away only four and a half months post diagnosis. That was a tough year. It's been tough since then, not feeling that connection," Jakobsson said.

"This is why the number brings it a little bit for me, which is nice."

Jakobsson was presented her jumper by long-time teammate Alice Burke last weekend prior to her milestone 75th match against Sydney.

Burke and Jakobsson have played together at the Saints since 2021.

It was a special moment pre-game, but devastatingly, Burke injured her knee in the match and the club confirmed an ACL tear days later.

"She's (Burke) just such a good teammate. She's one of those people that you can just rely on, on and off the field," Jakobsson said.

"A lot of us don't know footy without Burkey … It's going to be really strange without her.

"When she went down it didn't feel real for the group. It's got to be a different look for us and a different look for her, obviously rehabbing the next 12 months but she's still been so positive."

The Saints have had a disappointing start to their 2026 campaign, losing their first three matches.

Despite going down in all three games, there have been glimpses of their best, including in the second half of the season opener against the Blues.

"We know that it's not always going to be smooth sailing but the group's so committed to still coming in here every day and sticking to the process.. we still want to get better," Jakobsson said.

"We're trying to just chip away and slowly improve our game and I think you saw that last week."

The Saints put up a fight against the Swans in round three, improving their defence, but unfortunately couldn't capitalise on their opportunities up forward, scoring nine behinds for the game and just one goal.

"Our game did improve a whole lot defensively, so I think that's a positive," Jakobsson said.

"We definitely left some goals out there with a lot of scoring shots. We actually are getting the scoring shots, so our system is sort of starting to work and we're starting to sort of create a little bit more of an identity off the back of that.

"So yeah, I think we've just got to continue that, we've just got to continue to get to work."

St Kilda now faces the biggest challenge in AFLW this weekend, coming up against back-to-back premier North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon at RSEA Park.

For Jakobsson, it's another opportunity for the group to improve.

"Last week we took another step forward, probably more so defensively," Jakobsson said.

"So now I think it's about getting some other parts of our game and our system back this weekend against North. So be really sound defensively in the contest, but then start to generate our offence and start to move the ball the way that we want to, which I don't think we've been doing.

"We've seen it in patches, probably more so in round one, where we can move the ball and then we've got the looks on the weekend, but probably didn't capitalise. So it's more so about being us for longer.

"And again, it's the little things of living our values, giving effort and being a good teammate that will set us up to do that. We want to continue to do that every week and now it's just adding elements of our system on top of that."

One thing is for certain: it will be a special moment when Jakobsson runs out onto RSEA Park on Saturday, a place she has called home for the past seven seasons, wearing the No.35 guernsey in red, black and white for the first time.