Andrew Witts

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Andrew Witts
Personal information
Date of birth (1961-08-22) 22 August 1961 (age 62)
Original team(s) Old Melburnians
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1985 Collingwood 7 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1985.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Andrew Witts (born 22 August 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Witts, who came from amateur club Old Melburnians, was already 23 when he played his only season at Collingwood in 1985.[1][2] He debuted against Essendon in round 15 and remained in the team until round 21, for a total of seven games.[2] His guernsey number, 65, was the highest ever regular number worn by a player in VFL/AFL history.[3]

If one-off numbers are considered, Geelong player Harry Taylor wore 85 after the unlikely scenario of being sent off with a blood rule twice in the same game and therefore not having a second spare guernsey; it is still unclear why there was an 85 guernsey available.[4][5]

Subsequently, the number 67 was worn by ten Indigenous players to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum during the Sir Doug Nicholls Round in 2017.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  2. ^ a b AFL Tables: Andrew Witts
  3. ^ The Age,"Age, history and a heavy number", 30 April 2009, Peter Hanlon
  4. ^ "Higher than 58: A Brownlow medalist". www.footyalmanac.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Weird and wonderful numbers". heraldsun. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2021.