ST KILDA supporters will be rushing out to buy the No.32 for the back of their guernseys, with top draft selection Paddy McCartin to wear it in 2015.
The young forward will adopt the number recently vacated by Terry Milera when he takes to the field next season – hopefully as early as round one.
"I'm excited. I didn't know what number I was going to get so to get 32 is really exciting and I'm just looking forward to it," McCartin said on Wednesday at Casey Fields in Cranbourne.
Coach Alan Richardson has refused to set limits for any of his draftees and says they will be considered to face Greater Western Sydney on April 5 if they're fit and ready.
McCartin said he hadn't made round one a definitive goal, but knew what he had to do to make sure he was in the selection frame.
"Richo said to us early on if we're good enough to play, we'll play, and I'm just going to go out and train as hard as I can and do everything possible to put my best foot forward and play my role for the team," he said.
"Whatever happens, happens.
"I'll just train, and wherever that leads me that's fine, but I'm not setting any goals yet."
The Saints' second draft selection from last month Hugh Goddard will wear 33 next year, while Daniel McKenzie will take 36 and Jack Lonie 37.
Former Sydney Swans forward Tim Membrey will wear 28, guernsey vacated by new Geelong player Rhys Stanley.
Rookies Jack Sinclair and Brenton Payne will wear 40 and 43 respectively, while the returning Ahmed Saad has missed out on reclaiming his No. 21 jumper from Luke Delaney and will take 38.
There have been some other number shifts, with Eli Templeton to upgrade to No.4, Blake Acres to No.8 and Luke Dunstan to Lenny Hayes' No.7.
The Saints are only recently back from a tough New Zealand training camp where they were exposed to arduous hikes, hill running and skill training.
McCartin said the self-imposed routine he put himself through before being drafted had helped him adjust to training in an elite environment, but he still found the overseas venture challenging.
"It was all pretty tough. On the last day we did a hike that was about 18km, and I think as well as physical that was pretty mental – to get to the top and then go down again," he said.
"It was all really good, really beneficial."
