HAWTHORN'S famous No.23 jumper has been passed on to young key-position player Tim O'Brien following Lance Franklin's defection to the Sydney Swans at the end of the 2013 season.
Franklin wore No.23 after upgrading from No.38 at the end of his first season at the Hawks, 2005, and went on to win a best and fairest award, two Coleman Medals and two premierships in the jumper.
But Franklin merely continued the No.23 jumper's proud history, which had been built on the deeds of club greats such as Dermott Brereton, Don Scott and John Peck, who between them won nine flags.
O'Brien will enter his second season with the Hawks in 2014, having been taken at pick 28 in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.
The South Australian, 19, could not break into the strong Hawks team in 2013, but impressed with the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL and was rewarded with a contract extension in May to the end of 2015.
After his breakthrough 2013 season, Taylor Duryea has swapped the No.41 jumper for the No.8 vacated by 2008 premiership player Xavier Ellis.
Duryea finally debuted for the Hawks in his fourth season last year, playing 18 games before being an unlucky omission from Hawthorn's successful finals campaign.
Ellis moved to West Coast as a free agent in October.
Star recruit Ben McEvoy has taken on No.7, which was previously worn by retired 2008 premiership player Michael Osborne.
The ruckman wore No.5 in his six seasons at St Kilda.
Alex Woodward is hoping a change of jumper number will result in a change of luck.
The midfielder was given No.36 in his first two seasons at the Hawks, but after an impressive first pre-season earned him a NAB Cup debut he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament against Greater Western Sydney then ruptured the same ACL again the following January.
Woodward will now wear the No.39 jumper vacated by another injury-prone Hawk Max Bailey at the end of last season.
Woodward should be heartened knowing Bailey came back from three ACL reconstructions to lead Hawthorn's ruck division in this year's Grand Final win.
In other number changes, promoted rookie Jonathon Ceglar inherits No.18 from retired premiership hero Brent Guerra, while rookie Derick Wanganeen has moved up from No.46 to 36.
Recent draftees Billy Hartung, Dayle Garlett and James Sicily have been given No.40, 44 and 41 respectively.
Rookies Ben Ross, Dallas Willsmore, Zac Webster and Ben Ross will take on No.21, 43 and 45, while international rookies Kurt Heatherley and Shem Tatupu have been handed No.46 and 47.
