FEW COLLINGWOOD players set supporters' hearts racing as much as the mercurial, but now departed Alan Didak.

And emerging ruckman Brodie Grundy's seven debut games for Collingwood in 2013 were cause for great excitement at Pieland, so it is only fitting that he take over Didak's No.4 jumper next season.

"After this year I knew I had to change numbers from No. 35 (worn by the club's first selection in the NAB AFL Draft each year) and I knew the No.4 was available," the ruckman told the club website this week.

"I liked No.4 and No.7 but I decided to go with No.4 because that was the first basketball number that I wore,  so I thought I'd start my sporting career on a number and then finish on the same one."

There is an 18cm gap between Didak and Grundy, but both are from South Australia.

In his first year at Collingwood, Grundy impressed with a 14-touch, 12-hit-out display on debut against Greater Western Sydney and showed so much improvement that by season's end he was keeping 2010 premiership ruckman Darren Jolly out of the side, averaging 11.6 disposals and 19.3 hit-outs a game.

His standout game came against eventual premiers Hawthorn in round 20, with 20 possessions, 28 hit-outs and six clearances.

He earned a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination late in the season.

In other jumper news at Collingwood, former GWS midfielder Taylor Adams will wear the no.13, formerly sported by midfielder Dale Thomas, now at Carlton.