THE number seven means a lot to Xavier Duursma. He was born on the seventh day of the seventh month and grew up playing football with the number on the back of his guernsey.

When former teammate Brad Ebert announced he was retiring in 2020, Duursma was quick to ask whether Ebert would allow him to be the latest custodian of Port Adelaide’s number seven guernsey – a number made famous by Ebert’s late uncle Russell Ebert.

And because Duursma loves having the number on his back and being associated with the Ebert legacy, he has made the decision to vacate the guernsey for Saturday night’s game against Hawthorn - a game which will honour Russell Ebert’s contribution to the club, the community and all of Australian football.

“I feel it’s the right thing,” Duursma told portadelaidefc.com.au of the move ratified by the AFL. “I want to be able to do it for Russell and his family.

“He’s obviously an amazing person and amazing player, not just for Port Adelaide but for people all over South Australia and all of Australian Rules Football.

“It’s the right thing to go to celebrate his achievements and his life - being able to celebrate his number seven that he and the Eberts have made famous, it just feels like the right thing to do.”

Russell Ebert passed away in November following a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia nearly a year earlier.

The club games record holder also won six best and fairest awards, three premierships and a record four Magarey Medals as the best and fairest player in the SANFL.

Duursma got to know Ebert through his work in Port Adelaide’s community programs, specifically the program Ebert set up back in 1999, the Community Youth Program.

“Pretty much every week in my first year and quite a few times in my second year I spent those mornings doing the Community Youth Program with Russ and you could just see how much of a genuinely good person he was, trying to help kids and people all around the state,” Duursma recalled fondly.

“He was an amazing person and just wanted to see the best in people. It just goes to show how good of a person he was and it adds to the fact of why we want to celebrate him and retire the number seven.

“Number seven is a very special number. A lot of the Eberts have worn it and it’s become an immortalised number for the Port Adelaide faithful.

“When Brad retired, I sent him a very quick and very long message to say congratulations on an amazing career and everything you’ve been able to achieve – it’s been an honour to be a teammate of yours but at the same time, can I please take the number seven off you.

“It’s my favourite number and I’ve always worn it growing up, but I also wanted to add my own touch to the immortalisation of the number seven.”

Duursma has yet to confirm what number he will wear if selected.

While the number seven won’t be out there against Hawthorn on Saturday night, each of the players representing Port Adelaide will have it over their hearts on special guernseys which will be auctioned off to raise money for Novita – a charity Ebert was long associated with.

“Every single player on the weekend will be taking that jumper and holding it close to their hearts,” Duursma said of the specially patched kits.

“They’ll all be trying to keep those jumpers. The number seven means a lot to me but also a lot to everyone at the football club.

“It’s going to be a very big night for everyone involved and we’ll be here to honour a legend.”

A number of other tributes are planned to honour Ebert and his family on the night. Among them, his  wife Di and daughter Tammie Kernich will toss the coin and his grandson Albert will kick the ceremonial first goal of the game – just the second non-former player to get the honour. 

Duursma is hoping to play his part in the occasion but will need to prove his fitness following a heavy knock to his collarbone that saw him subbed out during the first quarter of the Round 1 loss to Brisbane.

But the 21-year-old is feeling better every day and will use training to test his body.

“I’m tracking ok. It keeps improving every day,” he said.

“I really have to get through the Thursday and Friday of training where I’ll test it out and see what happens with it.

“Fingers crossed everything goes well.”