Port Adelaide hand No 35 jersey to new signing, 12 years after Power retired the shirt following John McCarthy’s tragic passing

Port Adelaide have announced that they will be bringing the No 35 guernsey out of retirement, 12 years after the tragic passing of John McCarthy.

New recruit Joe Richards, who made his move from Collingwood to the Power during the off-season, will don the jumper, with the McCarthy family giving their blessing for the move to take place.

Richards said it was a ‘huge privilege’ to wear the jersey, adding that he had ‘jumped at the opportunity’ to don McCarthy’s old number.

Like Richards, McCarthy had also arrived at Port Adelaide having initially been drafted by Collingwood as a 31st pick in the 2007 National Draft.

But after his passing on a pre-season trip to America in 2012, Port subsequently retired the No 35.

It has not featured on matchdays for Port since then but has been seen on the training ground. Each week, the Port honours a ‘hidden hero’ at the club – someone whose actions have gone under the radar – who will wear the No 35 jumper in training that week.

Joe Richards is set to wear the No 35 shirt after he signed for Port Adelaide earlier this summer 

The guernsey had been retired back in 2012 following the tragic passing of John McCarthy

The guernsey had been retired back in 2012 following the tragic passing of John McCarthy 

‘Obviously, coming from Collingwood, similar to John, and being traded to Port Adelaide, there’s a little connection there,’ he said.

‘And I jumped at the opportunity as soon as they offered it up.

‘There is a bit of history. And obviously, Chad Cornes wore it before John. So a little bit of pressure.

Richards added: ‘But I’ll try and make it my own and do as much as I can in it.’

The 25-year-old, a flying small forward, joins Port after having made nine appearances last season, kicking six goals.

Asked if there was any pressure that came with wearing the No 35, Richards said: ‘There is a bit of history. And obviously, Chad Cornes wore it before John.

‘So a little bit of pressure. But I’ll try and make it my own and do as much as I can in it.’

Richards has been settling into life in South Australia well and claimed he was enjoying the ‘relaxed atmosphere’.

Richards stated that it was a 'huge honour' to wear the shirt, after McCarthy's family had given their blessing for the move to take place

Richards stated that it was a ‘huge honour’ to wear the shirt, after McCarthy’s family had given their blessing for the move to take place 

‘It’s certainly different to Melbourne, but I’m loving it. A bit more of a relaxed lifestyle here, so loving that aspect of it,’ he said.

‘But yeah, only been here a week or so, so I’m pretty keen to check out the rest of Adelaide.

‘Obviously, you’ve got nice beaches here, and as I said, it’s bit more relaxed than Melbourne is. Yeah, it’s probably the main difference.’

The small forward joins Port on a three-year deal, having been drafted to Collingwood as a mature-age recruit in 2022.

He also took home the Harry Collier Trophy as the Magpies’ best young player in 2024.

Speaking on his move, Richards claimed that he felt there were better opportunities to progress while playing at Port.

‘It was more about the opportunities that I get coming here, and hopefully, I can make the position my own. So that was probably the main factor,’ he said.

‘Obviously, I’m a small forward and there’s an array of small forwards at Collingwood who are all great players.

‘So whether there was a spot there for me or not, you know, potentially there was, I’m not too sure, but it certainly felt like what Port Adelaide pitched to me, it felt like the right decision. And as I said, one that I’m happy to make.’

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