NUMBER 11 has never been the jumper of the marquee player at St Kilda but holds a rich history nonetheless.

Some of St Kilda’s greatest servants such as Greg Burns and Roy Fountain have proudly worn the jumper over time, giving great service to the club throughout their eras.

Bill Stephenson was a star full-forward for the team throughout the 1950s and early 1960s until a knee injury brought a premature end to his career.

Neil Besanko wore 11 for six of his 10 years at St Kilda. Besanko, who was famously a high-quality sprinter in his time, played 149 games for the Saints before moving on to Essendon.

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But it is another zippy player who is best associated with the number in the modern day. Leigh Montagna started out his career in the no. 28 but after 22 games in three years wearing that number he soon moved up to 11 where he made the number his own.

A regular high finisher in St Kilda best and fairest counts and All-Australian selections, Montagna has comfortably sat with the competition’s best midfielders over the past seven years.

But he could easily have never worn 11, as he explains to SAINTS.com.au.

Leigh Montagna:

It was the end of 2005 and no. 6 and no. 11 had opened up after Craig Callaghan and Heath Black had left the club.

Grant Thomas offered the numbers to myself and Leigh Fisher and told us to sort out amongst ourselves which one we wanted. We both wanted no. 6 but Leigh had a better claim to it since he had a family connection to David Grant who had worn it through the 1980s and 1990s so I agreed to let him have it.

My favourite number was actually no. 3 but Nathan Burke had it when I was drafted so they weren’t exactly going to take that off a club icon to give to some kid.

Xavier Clarke actually got given no. 3 when Burkey retired. I would have loved it but I was still trying to make my way in back then and wasn’t getting a regular game so I wasn’t really seen as the next cab off the rank.

I remember approaching Greg Burns at a club Hall of Fame function one night and making a point of introducing myself to him because of our mutual connection.

Apart from being born in November, I never really had a strong affinity with no. 11 until I wore it but funnily enough my footy seemed to improve a lot once I started wearing it. I didn’t get a lot of continuity in no. 28 but things changed a lot once I changed numbers.