Honestly, move on from its importance. #31 and #4 have huge history, yes, but have had little significance in terms of recent history. #11, #3, #9, #2 all have more meaning nowadays than the former 2. Hopefully #4 will become a great number again, but only because of the guy who is wearing it now. Hell, #20 holds more emotion for me than #4 or #31, but that's because i'm youngish. Let the past be the past, and let great numbers arise from great deeds that are performed today, not from half a century ago!

Honestly, move on from its importance. #31 and #4 have huge history, yes, but have had little significance in terms of recent history. #11, #3, #9, #2 all have more meaning nowadays than the former 2. Hopefully #4 will become a great number again, but only because of the guy who is wearing it now. Hell, #20 holds more emotion for me than #4 or #31, but that's because i'm youngish. Let the past be the past, and let great numbers arise from great deeds that are performed today, not from half a century ago!

Agree - biggest ones for me are #9, #34 and #23.

Edited September 12, 201114 yr by Striker475

The best thing for #31 is to give it to a person for whom we have no unrealistic expectations. Just let them play football.

Then we won't get in a lather over what happens to it.

ANDREW GAFF

sounds good

Mothballs indefinately...i don't want to see it for a long time.

Give his jumper to Andrew Demetrio

Jumper needs to be retired it's cursed no more 31 it's been sold out twice now

I could put a case up as fluffy as the 31 jumper to retire every number. A touch of reality for some posters would be good.

I feel they should keep it but don't be so quick to give it out willy nilly. It has to be earned through courage and leadership, Ideal number for a captain!!??

do you want him to wear it at GWS?

not taking it off him...he gave it back to us

I'd put it in mothballs for 5 or more years we have not had a great deal of success with the number 31 jumper over the last God only knows years.

Let someone come to the club and earn the number, let's not just allocate it to some random who may turn out to be an ordinary footballer.

Wheaters was worthy...

What to do with it?....Get it removed off mine and my sons gurnsey.

Give it to Jordie McKenzie, a tough young player who leads by example both on the field and at the contract table.

Give it to Jordie McKenzie, a tough young player who leads by example both on the field and at the contract table.

This, or leave it for a year and give it to Jack Viney. Although, and I'm going to sound ignorant here, but what number did Todd wear? If that's available to him that would obviously be more appropriate.

This, or leave it for a year and give it to Jack Viney. Although, and I'm going to sound ignorant here, but what number did Todd wear? If that's available to him that would obviously be more appropriate.

Number 12. He had one club and one number all through, as far as I'm aware. Started in 1987 (what a year) under Northey (great coach).

Compared with champions like Viney, jerks like $cully simply don't rate in the history of our great club.

I could put a case up as fluffy as the 31 jumper to retire every number. A touch of reality for some posters would be good.

Go on then - it is a cursed number- Carmen and Templeton did bugger all wearing it. Didn't Groom do his knee badly wearing it?

Apart from the two RB's, it has not really had a glorious history- wheatley was one of the longest servants wearing it.

A bit like #4 - O'sullivan and Lord who both wore it are probably the best of the bunch outside Smith (Watts excepted).

We place a tradition on the numbers because of the hankering for the halcyon days - like Hawthorn's No. 23 - all clubs have them but really you could argue 11, with Stynes, Wells and Mithen has had a better pedigree.

the issue is the club made a big fanfare about the #4 and #31 with the number #1 picks receiving them that has heightened their importance within the club's current link to tradition.

Retire it - if a number means little then this gesture cannot harm either way.

Edited September 12, 201114 yr by spiritof76

Swap the numbers around - you should have bought a 13 to start with.

Black list the number two players have now worn the number and walked out on Melbourne for money. Gutless. Clearly the number should only be given to players whom are no longer wanted or retire the number and have a cremation ceremony for the 31 guernsey.

I'd put it in mothballs for 5 or more years we have not had a great deal of success with the number 31 jumper over the last God only knows years.

Let someone come to the club and earn the number, let's not just allocate it to some random who may turn out to be an ordinary footballer.

Thats only a refection of the failures of ther Footy dept over the years to find the right talent, & then to develop them properly. Plus the soft Comfy culture around our club.

Our players don't seem to reach their potential. Stifling.

Put it under lock and key until someone genuinely deserves it.... this jumper has been cursed with mediocrity for a while now .....

I do like the sound of jack viney getting it though , but I'd like him to earn it first. No more handing out prestigious numbers !

Hoist it high on that flag pole in place of the grand old flag, preferably with TS still on the end of the rope.

Give it to a kid like Nicho or Evans. Someone with some integrity and loyalty preferably.

Agree with you and rpfc. Nicholson is a good choice.

Give it back to Ron!! and retire it !

I could put a case up as fluffy as the 31 jumper to retire every number. A touch of reality for some posters would be good.

This. Jesus. It's a number. It's more for commentators and for the shop to gouge you out of an extra couple of bucks. In saying that, I am sitting pretty, with my 2010 13, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

Proves nothing. Retiring the jumper is just plain dumb. Have a look at the history of it since RDB.

The guys gone FFS. Move on and spare the pretence.

Only a pretence in your view mate.

Passion and feelings are real. Supporters have them and will continue to for as long as there's a MFC. So build a bridge buddy and get used to it.

The hole Scully saga was the pretence on this club as is your view that you're the oracle and authority on most matters MFC.

The jumper should be retired. Why curse another player with the burden and extra pressure of wearing a number that's now infamous, especially a young kid as you and many on here have suggested. Maybe once the decades have rolled on and the media scribes have had a chance to move on.

Until then it should be moth balled as others have suggested here.

Edited September 12, 201114 yr by Rusty Nails

Mothballs indefinately...i don't want to see it for a long time.

Give his jumper to Andrew Demetrio

...good chuckle on that one WYL! Clever.

You know the Fat Controllers still going on about the Jeff White issue. Was doing so on MMM this morning. Frustrating thing is no one pulls him up. He just gets away with the spin as if its fact. Freemantle were compensated more than fairly. Such different circumstances too. He wanted to come back to Melb .....plus a 3rd year player. What a DH!

Edited September 12, 201114 yr by Rusty Nails