Geelong has announced the guernsey numbers for their five new recruits heading into the 2026 AFL season. 

Some of the most famous numbers in Geelong Football Club history will be passed on to some fresh faces next year, with the Cats bringing in four players in the draft and one through free agency at the end of 2025. 

Hunter Holmes is set to wear the number 22 next year, recently vacated by retiring premiership star, Mitch Duncan after a 16 year career at GMHBA Stadium.

Finishing on 305 AFL games, which is the sixth most by any player in Geelong history, Duncan was a two-time premiership player (2011, 2022) for the Cats and ended his career as one of the most highly-regarded players to pull on the Hoops. 

Geelong Academy prospect, Jesse Mellor will slot into the number 25 in 2026, after signing with the Cats as a Category B Rookie. 

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The number 25 has not featured in an AFL Game for the Cats in five years, most recently worn at the top level by key defenders Lachie Henderson and Jared Rivers. 

One of the more famous names to wear the number for Geelong is Les Hardiman, who was a two-time VFL Premiership player (1931, 1937) and Carji Greeves Medallist (1933) while also being selected in Geelong's Team of the Century. 

Geelong's top selection in the National Draft, Harley Barker has been entrusted with the famous number 26, which was not worn last year after the retirement of Tom Hawkins in 2024. 

One of the best players to ever pull on the Hoops, Hawkins finished his career on 359 AFL games which was the most by any player in Geelong history, also kicking the third most goals of any Cat while doing all of it with the number 26 on his back. 

'Jumping Jack' Hawkins wore the number 26 before his son did, as did Barry Stoneham who played all but one of his 241 games in the number. 

Nick Driscoll has been entrusted with a number that plenty of iconic Geelong players have previously worn, set to wear the number 27 in his first year at the club.

Andrew Bews was the first to make the number 27 famous, followed by Brenton Sanderson across his 11-year career with the Cats, before Mathew Stokes became a two-time premiership player with the number emblazoned across his back. More recently, Sam Menegola made the number his own during his 117-game career in the Hoops. 

The final number to be passed on went to Geelong's free agency signing, James Worpel who will wear the number 29 in his first season at the Cattery. 

Number 29 is set to change hands for the first time in 15 years, after Cameron Guthrie's time at the club came to a close at the end of 2025. Guthrie's extraordinary journey saw him become a Premiership player in 2022, an All-Australian in 2020, while also winning two Carji Greeves Medals in 2020 and 2022. 

Guthrie also had big shoes to fill when he joined the club, inheriting the number 29 from none other than Gary Ablett Junior during his first stint with Geelong. 

Free new recruit heat press number with any 2026 Home Guernsey pre-order until 5pm AEDT Friday 28 November.

Geelong's New 2026 Guernsey Numbers