As we know or if we don’t the first recorded Australian football game occurred in 1858 but the first organised competition didn’t immediately see the wearing of a footy jumper or Guernsey as it would be eventually known.
During the 1860s players wore clothing which only identified them as team members. Proper jumper weren’t adopted until the late 1880’s.
Lace up tight jumper, three quarter length pants, heavy steel capped boots, even caps were what we began with over 100 years ago, some clubs have changed their look many times, some clubs have barely changed at all. What follows though should explain this just a little better . . . . . . . . . .
Adelaide
Nicknamed the Crows on entering the competition in 1991, the Adelaide Football club have worn virtually the same jumper since their first game in Round 1 of 1991, navy blue with red & gold hoops, socks of the same design.
This jumper though is now specifically a home Guernsey only, having over the last several seasons adopted an away jumper, the same navy blue, red & gold colours but instead adopting the famous South Australian croweater term as an emblem with a navy blue crow logo in the centre of their Guernsey.
Brisbane
Made up of a merged Brisbane Bears & Fitzroy Lions, the Brisbane Lions since 1997, the team has worn the 1960’s Fitzroy maroon colour with a blue yoke, gold & white trim, most of all a gold lion emblem on the lower part of the chest.
Individually - when they entered the competition in 1987 as the Brisbane Bears, the leagues first northern state based team wore a gold Guernsey adorned by a maroon yoke, stylized map of Queensland with an extended line depicting “BB” and featuring a bears head.
In 1992 when the club began to move its base from Carrara to the Gabba, they decided to change their jumper to a simpler design, a maroon Guernsey with gold ‘V’ and white trim; they wore this simple design for both Home & Away games until becoming the Brisbane Lions in 1997.
For Fitzroy, one of the original foundation clubs in 1897, the team known as just the maroons, then referred to as the Gorillas before becoming the lions, first wore a basic maroon lace-up Guernsey, a special chamois top & centre stripe. Come 1911 the Roys changed to a maroon Guernsey with a blue yoke, collar & cuffs was adopted, later in 1930’s came the famous FFC monogram.
It would be another twenty years before that monogram changed to a white easier to see colour, then another twenty years after that, 1975 when a brighter maroon was introduced along with the gold trimmings, it would be this famous Fitzroy Guernsey that would be worn and wouldn’t change again until their final game in 1996 as Fitzroy before the merger with Brisbane took place.
Carlton
The Blues, also one of the leagues foundation clubs in 1897 are one of the clubs that haven’t dramatically changed their look throughout their proud history.
Between 1897-1906 the club wore a dark lace-up Guernsey with a chamois yoke, it was during 1906 that the dark navy blue woollen Guernsey was introduced then finally there years later the traditional & famous CFC monogram made it’s first appearance, 1920 it would be modified slightly but from then to now, the famous navy blue Guernsey of the Carlton Football Club has stayed virtually the same.
During one off games there have been subtle variations in the jumper, the CFC logo changing for centenary games in 1996, a Pre Season Guernsey and the now yearly heritage jumper. Then there was the famous one off pale blue M&Ms promotional Guernsey
But as the songs says “The old dark navy blues”, its doubtful there will be too many future changes to such a traditional & famous footy jumper.
Collingwood
One of the games most famous clubs, the Magpies have worn black & white vertical stripes predominately their entire history.
As the years have unfolded the look of the stripes has changed a little though, compared to the very beginning with the width of the famous stripes increasing.
There have been slight recent changes to the back of the clubs jumper, a totally black back with the white number while the stripes remained on the front.
Through the late 1990’s and into the new century there has been a growing push for a club such as Collingwood to adopt an away jumper or alternative Guernsey, something it’s supporters and officials have so far resisted. Though there has been Pre Season jumpers, heritage jumpers, one thing have and probably always will remain the games biggest constant, the black & white vertical stripes of the Collingwood FC.
Essendon
A foundation club of the competition in 1897, the Bombers known as the “Same Olds” early on to differentiate themselves from the Essendon VFA club and the term “Dons” has obviously always been an abbreviation of the clubs name.
But when you look at the history of the Essendon Football club these are probably the only major changes that have occurred since 1897, the clubs Guernsey has always and still does consist of a black jumper with red sash over the left shoulder.
Though the Bombers did very slightly increase the width of the sash in 1975, apart from the very early nickname changes the famous red and black sash Guernsey has never changed and is the only club to have never changed their Guernsey, not even a Pre Season jumper for a short time.
With the advent of the heritage round there is for just one round per year a slight change in the Bomber Guernsey, but only the reduction in width of the red sash, with no other changes really possible. In Round 1 2006 Essendon will run out in the same Guernsey they ran out in, in Round 1897 and probably will for some time.
Fremantle
When the second Perth based club was admitted into the AFL, it became virtually the first club to adopt different Guernseys for Home & Away matches.
Its original home game design consisted of a purple Guernsey with one red and one green chest panel separated by a white anchor across the front to show off their Docker nickname.
When playing away the Dockers adopted a green jumper with purple chest panels, stylized white anchor and red trimmings.
Since entering the competition in 1995, Fremantle have altered their jumper slightly at different times, the home Guernsey has remained the same, the away altering with the white anchor angled at times, vertical dark green, blue and red stripes becoming one away Guernsey while another totally white jumper with dark blue anchor becoming a jumper now worn when there is a possible clash.
Its heritage as a Perth coastal city important, Fremantle has at times worn a white with red V for heritage games in keeping with the former Fremantle clubs that once existed long ago.
Geelong
Apart from a very small handful of league games Geelong has worn a traditional blue & white hooped Guernsey since their inception into the competition in 1897.
Some experts & historians have claimed that the colours symbolize White Sea birds flying over blue water in line with the coastal feel of the city of Geelong.
In the first twenty years like other clubs, the Guernseys were of a lace up type, the blue & white hoops were much narrower than they are today.
Known as the Pivotonians early on, then eventually the Cats it was from 1908 the adopted a much wider and brighter blue & white hoops, a Guernsey that stayed virtually the same ever since.
For a short period the club did experiment with a clash or alternative jumper consisting of a dark blue Guernsey with white GFC stripe through the middle, a jumper which did not prove too popular, there have been other slight alterations, the thin hoops worn in heritage rounds and the current away jumper of the traditional blue and white hoops with the GFC logo on the front, but one thing remains as certain as the Cats being the toast of Geelong win or lose, the blue and white hoops will be here to stay for a long time.
Hawthorn
On entering the competition in 1925 all the way until 1949 with the exception of one season, Hawthorn wore your very basic brown Guernsey with gold “V” and a HFC insignia. In 1932 for unknown reasons the reverse was tried, a gold Guernsey with a brown “V”.
It wasn’t until 1950 that the more traditional and well known Hawthorn jumper was first worn, the brown and gold vertical stripes, a Guernsey they have worn all the way through to the present day.
There have been numerous changes to the Hawthorn Guernsey for away games, Pre Season games and the yearly heritage round. During 1995 a navy blue, brown & gold diamond patterned Pre Season jumper was attempted, following seasons several more alternative Night series Guernseys were worn, including an American football style sleeved jumper, while the yearly heritage Guernsey has tended to centre around Hawthorn’s very early history on first entering the competition.
Though the Hawks have experimented with numerous heritage and Pre Season jumpers during the 90’s & into the new millennium, but for over 50 years the traditional brown & gold vertical stripes have and do remain the same.
North Melbourne
Like Hawthorn, North Melbourne, the Kangaroos entered the competition in 1925 and like Hawthorn, for the first several years they were a “V” styled Guernsey, the difference being it was a royal blue with a large white “V”.
It wasn’t until 1933 the Kangaroos first wore the traditional vertical striped Guernsey, the same familiar design that has been worn all the way through to 2006.
While the traditional vertical stripes have remained the North Melbourne home Guernsey since 1933, come the mid 1990’s it was decided alternative jumpers for away and Pre Season games would be adopted. All of which have been various forms of royal blue & white with a large Kangaroos motif on the front, depending on their opponent the Guernsey has either been a majority white with royal blue Kangaroo or a completely royal blue Guernsey with a white outlined Kangaroo, all worn strictly for home games or there is an obvious jumper clash.
In 2000 the club wore a once off orange jumper with orange Kangaroo logo on the front for a promotion with a communications company while the club has worn numerous different Pre Season jumpers, including currently an all white Guernsey with blue outlined Kangaroo. One thing with the Kangaroos is certain, while not afraid to experiment with away and Pre Season jumpers they will continue to remain loyal to their traditional blue and white vertical stripes.
Melbourne
Considered the oldest Football club in Australia and possibly one of the oldest in the world, the Demons were a foundation club in 1897, always associated with blue and red, Melbourne wore a basic lace up blue Guernsey with red stripe straight down the middle of the chest.
It wouldn’t be until 1933 they first wore the traditional, familiar blue with red yoke, being one of the competitions most traditional clubs, the red & blue has remained constant through the clubs history.
Slight alterations have occurred at times, the late 1970’s with the advent of colour television, the dark blue of the Melbourne Guernsey was lightened considerably, and a much more pale blue before it was restored to normal in 1986.
Heritage round jumpers with both a vertical and horizontal red stripe have been worn since 2003, based around the early post first world war jumpers, numerous Pre Season Guernseys have also been worn, consisting mainly of a red Guernsey with demon motif across the front, a similar alternative strip is also now worn at least once a year when the Melbourne plays Essendon to avoid a colour clash.
But like Carlton, with their colours part of the club theme song, fans shouldn’t expect the traditional red and the blue of the Melbourne Football club to change any time soon.
Port Adelaide
The competitions newest club, entering the AFL in 1997, the Power’s first jumper design is the same one they still wear today, though mainly as a home jumper, consisting of a black body with white lightning stripes on the left side, teal chest panels followed by a black neck & teal trim.
Alternatively away from home, the Power have worn a mostly black Guernsey with white & teal lightning stripes down the left side, this has varied recently with the current away jumper consisting of a large white lightning bolt down the middle with black completely covering the left & teal the right.
In addition to an away jumper, Port Adelaide has also in recent times adopted what is often called a clash jumper in case of a direct conflict with another teams colours, both have consisted mostly of a completely teal jumper with white bolts of lightning scattered across the front.
There have also been different heritage round Guernseys worn by the Power, an acknowledgement to their SANFL Port Adelaide Magpies history, the traditional black & white bars, while a throw back to the very early South Australian football days, a red & blue vertical striped jumper with yellow laced stripe down the middle.
With a mixture of SANFL history and a new modern look, the Power is one of the competitions more colourful looking teams.
Richmond
Entering the competition in 1908, all teams coming from Punt Road have worn yellow & black in some shape or form. In the beginning the Tigers wore black & yellow vertical striped Guernseys. Briefly after 1913 during the first world war a black jumper with gold band across the chest was tried but following the war and ever since Richmond has worn the traditional yellow or gold sash over the left shoulder decorating the predominantly black uniform.
Though like other clubs there have slight alterations to the “traditional” Guernsey along with Pre Season & heritage round jumpers, there has been a gradual lightening of the yellow sash, there has been just the recent return of the yellow sash to the back of the black Guernsey after several years of it just displaying across the front with a plain black.
While during the pre season training style jumpers have recently been worn, a totally black Guernsey with yellow slash marks at the bottom of the jumper & left shoulder, they have also worn a totally silver white jumper with tiger logo in the centre.
The clubs heritage jumpers have varied, the original yellow & black vertical stripes have been worn as well as a yellow & black V styled design, but one thing is for certain, whether the actual design of Richmond’s Guernsey ever changes one thing will not, the yellow & black of the tigers.
St. Kilda
An original foundation club of the league in 1897, the Saints have worn many different designed Guernseys over the last 109 seasons, but almost all have had one thing in common, red, black & white.
From 1897 to 1914, the beginning of the first world war, St Kilda wore narrow red, white & black vertical stripes, then come the war it was decided to avoid any possible association with Germany whose national colours were identical, so during the war the club began wearing red, gold & black jumpers, colours they wore until 1923 before reverting back to it’s original colours with single red, white & black Guernsey panels, a year later the club crest was added following a match in which the team courageously won a match despite being riddled with injury.
St Kilda’s Guernsey virtually remained the same until the 1990s before a second jumper was adopted, the Saints traditional design would be worn for away games while an alternative was introduced, a red yoke, large black cross & red bodice was worn in 1997.
Also in recent seasons, the club has adopted two further alternative jumpers, their heritage round design of close together black, red & white vertical stripes & a bright yellow jumper with black and red lined cross; both of these are worn in home & away games depending on any possible clash with the opposition.
Though their Guernsey history is much more storied than some, the clubs red, white & black colours continue to remain the same and will for a long time to come.
South Melbourne/Sydney Swans
The Bloods or Swans were an original club in 1897, joining the then new league with the 7 other foundation teams. During their first years in the competition South wore red & white hooped Guernseys, come 1905 the club altered the design to vertical stripes.
With the exception of two seasons, the Bloods adopted white jumpers with red sash between 1907 & 1931; red cuffs and collars were added in 1911 to give the team the look often seen in archival photos from South’s strongest era through the 1930’s.
Very briefly in 1921-1922 the team wore totally red Guernseys with a SMFC logo across the front before in 1932 came the familiar white jumper with red “V”.
It would be this Guernsey that the from then on as the Swans, the club would wear for almost the next 80 years.
The 1982 season begins and South Melbourne have relocated to the Harbour City, becoming the Sydney Swans, they would continue to wear the traditional South Guernsey, until 1987 when the club altered the design, the “V” modified to incorporate an outline of Sydney’s famous Opera house. In 1992 the black of the Guernsey would be changed to totally red with a white number.
Like other clubs the Swans have worn heritage round Guernseys plus the occasional alternative jumper though Sydney is one club whose colours do not really clash with another clubs. In 1996 their centenary jumper consisted of red & white wide apart chest panels while in recent seasons to honour their long history they have worn the tradition white with red “V” as a heritage round Guernsey.
Cheer Cheer the red & white should remain part of the Swans history for a long time to come.
University
Entering the league in 1908 with Richmond, the club known as the “Students” only ever wore one Guernsey design, a simple black jumper with a blue “V” and thin blue waist band.
Sadly the club only lasted until the end of the 1914 season before fading away into history.
West Coast Eagles
Since they entered the league in 1987 under the former VFL banner, the Eagles have always worn a gold & royal blue in some form.
In their initial seasons, West Coast wore the basic gold with royal blue shoulder panels on both sides, an eagle motif on the front, through to the mid nineties this design was reversed becoming a predominately royal blue and gold jumper with gold instead of blue eagle motif.
At the beginning of 1995 the light royal blue was replaced by a much darker shade, which come the new millennium became strictly a home Guernsey, one of the original lighter royal blue jumpers being their first away design before a more complicated almost black with orange and red large eagle styled Guernsey was worn for matches outside Perth.
Not proving as popular as the originals, West Coast only briefly used these much more complicated and busy Guernseys before returning to a more traditional royal blue & gold jumper for both home & away matches.
The club has worn different Pre Season Guernseys, experimenting with striped royal blue & gold chest panels and larger eagle motif across the front and also a bright yellow more than gold but as their heritage round jumpers have showed, even though one of the leagues newer than most clubs, tradition is important, back to where they started, the royal blue & gold of the late 1980s, the preferred Guernsey of the modern day Eagles.
Western Bulldogs
On entering the league in 1925, for its first ten seasons, Footscray wore blue Guernseys with red & white bands, colours that would become the Bulldogs traditional colours for the 80 years.
In 1935 the design was altered to vertical blue, red & white braces, but this lasted for just one season, the original jumper returning in 1936.
Come the 1970s and the advent of colour television, much wider & brighter horizontal bands were introduced, so for the next twenty years, Footscray was known for it’s simple but traditional blue Guernsey with red, white lined bar horizontally through the chest.
Come the 1990s and a much needed modernising of the now Western Bulldogs Guernsey, alternative Home & Away designs were adopted, though the red, white and blue colours remained numerous jumpers with a Bulldogs motif across the chest were worn and still are today. Mixed with various Pre Season designs consisting of more red than blue and different Bulldogs logos, the club has also worn contrasting heritage round designs, a rare thin vertical striped Guernsey and an original blue with red & white bands design.
Though never the most stylish or fashionable team, the Bulldogs remain one of the most traditional, designs may have varied but the red, white & blue remains as strong as ever.