Blues hand famous numbers to new draftees

Dow has been handed No.2, previously worn by club legends John Nicholls and Greg Williams, while O'Brien will don the No.4 guernsey made famous by Stephen Kernahan, Peter Bosustow and Bryce Gibbs.

Jack Silvagni, who now wears No.1, last ran out for the Blues in the No.2 jumper.

Dow and O'Brien were taken at picks three and 10 respectively in last month's national draft.

Their fellow draftees Tom De Koning, Angus Schumacher and Jarrod Garlett have been given No.12, No.19 and No.21, which were last worn by Blaine Boekhorst, Liam Sumner and Josh Bootsma respectively.

A bit of a pattern has emerged with some of the Blues' other guernsey allocations. Former GWS midfielder Matthew Kennedy has taken the No.7 vacated by Dylan Buckley, who is now at the Giants, ex-Geelong speedster Darcy Lang will wear No.16, which was previously worn by his former Cats teammate Billie Smedts, and Matt Shaw has also been given the number of a former teammate with the ex-Gold Coast utility taking over from Daniel Gorringe in the No.37.

Former Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe has assumed club favourite Dennis Armfield's No.27, ex-Kangaroo Aaron Mullett will wear No.18 and former Port Adelaide backman Cam O'Shea, who won the Northern Blues' best-and-fairest in 2017, will resume his AFL career in the No.24.

Kristian Jaksch and Rhys Palmer were previous owners of No.18 and No.24 respectively.

Irishman Cillian McDaid, who has joined Carlton as a category B rookie, will wear No.45, last worn by Blaine Johnson.

The number announcements come as the Blues reveal they are on track for a record membership tally next season.

Carlton have never reached more than 33,000 members prior to Christmas but as of Wednesday, they have signed up 34,595 members.

The club puts its healthy membership tally down to its emphasis on building a strong sense of community and belonging as it continues to try to get existing members to rejoin and new members to sign up for the first time.