Nickname - AFL

There's long been 'Saints', but does anyone remember 'Angels', either 'Blood Stained' or 'Yellow and Black'? What did the supporters of the 'Fuchsias' and 'Mayblooms' yell out to encourage their players and put fear into the hearts of their opponents? Did you ever wonder what happened to the 'Cockatoos', the 'Panthers' or even the mighty 'Gorillas'? Maybe not, but here are their stories anyway.

[Click on individual club badges below to see replica badges from fifty years ago up until recent versions, some of which show the evolution of each club's logo4.]

ADELAIDE The Crows

Formed in 1991. Joined the AFL in 1991.
Premiers: 1997-1998.

With South Australians known as the 'Croweaters' in State then State-Of-Origin football for many years, the 'Crows' nickname probably seemed an obvious choice, however, the 'Sharks' was also seriously considered³.

BRISBANE BEARS The Bears

Formed in 1986. Joined the VFL in 1986. Merged with Fitzroy in 1997.

Chosen by the founding owners of the club¹, the nickname 'Bears' stood at odds with the adoption of the the koala as the logo and the mascot. (The koala, native to Australia, is not related to the bear.) This said, adoption of the name 'Brisbane' stood at odds with the fact that the team was headquartered, trained and played on the Gold Coast! The merger with Fitzroy at the end of the 1996 season saw the 'Bears' nickname dropped in favour of the 'Lions'.

BRISBANE LIONS The Lions

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Brissie'.

Formed by the merger of Brisbane and Fitzroy in 1997.
Premiers: 2001-2003.

With the merge of Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears at the end of the 1996 season the 'Lions' nickname was adopted - see FITZROY.

CARLTON The Blues

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Blueboys'; 'Bluebaggers'; 'Baggers'.

Formed in 1864. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897.
Premiers: 1906-08, 1914-15, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981-82, 1987, 1995.

Players originally wore dark blue caps and the club was known as the 'Blues' or the 'Navy Blues' from its early days. In its early years Carlton was equally as well known as the 'Butchers' because it wore-tight-fitting blue dungaree jackets reminiscent of butchers of the time¹. Some newspapers before the First World War referred to Carlton as the 'Brewers'. An attempt to introduce the 'Cockatoo' mascot after World War Two was not successful².
Click on the badge to see replica Carlton badges from over the last 50 years4.

COLLINGWOOD The Magpies

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Pies'; 'Maggies'; Woods'; 'The Carringbush'.

Formed in 1892. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897.
Premiers: 1902-03, 1910, 1917, 1919, 1927-30, 1935-36, 1953, 1958, 1990.

ESSENDON The Bombers

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Dons'.

Formed in 1873. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897.
Premiers: 1897, 1901, 1911-12, 1923-24, 1942, 1946, 1949-50, 1962, 1965, 1984-85, 1993, 2000.

To differentiate it from an Essendon football club that played in the old Victorian Football Association (VFA) between 1900 and 1921, the VFL's Essendon were known as the 'Same Olds', a name apparently inspired by the club's founding family, the McCrackens¹. The nickname 'Dons', an abbreviation of the club title, has been in use from early in the club's history². During the 1940s, with the club's home base being close to the war-time airport, the term 'Bombers' came into popular use.

Click on the badge to see replica Essendon badges from over the last 50 years4.

Formed in 1883. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Merged with Brisbane in 1997.
Premiers: 1898-1899, 1904-05, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1944.

Originally known as the 'Maroons' (please pronounce it correctly - marōōn) after Fitzroy guernsey's predominant colour, from 1939 the club became known as the 'Gorillas'¹. As this nickname increasingly became a target for derision, the 'Lions' emblem was adopted in 1957 and immediately became popular². The club was also known as the 'Roys' (a shortened version of Fitzroy), or even the 'Roy Boys', throughout most of its history. The merge of Fitzroy with Brisbane at the end of the 1996 season saw the 'Lions' nickname retained.
Click on the badge to see replica Fitzroy badges from the last 50 years4.
Click on this badge to see a rare Fitzroy Gorillas badge circa 1950s.

FOOTSCRAY The Bulldogs

Formed in 1886. Joined the VFL in 1925. Playing name 'Western Bulldogs' from 1997.
Premiers: 1954.

Prior to joining the VFL, Footscray had been known most commonly as the 'Tricolours', after their red, white and blue club colours, and the 'Scray', an abbreviation of the club title¹. One story has it that the club was dubbed the 'Bulldogs' after a genuine bulldog accidentally led the players out for a game in 1928 against Collingwood². The nickname was only officially adopted in 1938 but the connection is also said to go back to a song of the late 1880s called The Boys of the Bulldog Breed that the payers adopted as their battle cry. The team's play in the mid 1910s was often referred to as displaying bulldog tenacity, the club's 1921 membership ticket had a bulldog head printed on it and, in 1921, a local newspaper declared that Footscray would now be called the 'bull dogs'. The team has also long been known as the 'Scraggers'.
Click on the badge to see replica Footscray badges from the last 50 years4.

FREMANTLE The Dockers

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Freo'

Formed in 1995. Joined the AFL in 1995.

The 'Cobras' was a nickname that had been considered but in the end they went with a local marketing firm's choice - the 'Dockers'³. The name relates back to the locale's port and also has a similar ring to the famous "Fremantle Doctor", the wind which blows in from the ocean most/each (?) afternoon.

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Catters'.

Formed in 1859. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897.
Premiers: 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951-52, 1963, 2007.

As the city of Geelong was the centre of commerce for Victoria's Western District, the team were known as the 'Pivotonians' for most of their first 60 years. The abbreviated form, the 'Pivots', was occasionally used, as was the 'Seagulls', in reference to the proximity to the sea of Corio Oval, their original home². The birth of the 'Cats' nickname dates back to a match played on 30 June 1923 when a black cat mingled with the Collingwood Reserves side at the three-quarter time huddle, and the Geelong team started to play well. Sam Wells, a cartoonist with the Melbourne daily newspaper, the Herald, had a cartoon published suggesting that the previously poorly performing Geelong side may also benefit from the presence of the cat¹. After winning their next game, club captain Bert Rankin joined in the joke, noting that the black cat helped them win. The club continued to improve, winning seven of nine games after the 'cat' cartoon, and made the finals. The popularity of the feline emblem naturally grew.
Click on the badge to see replica Geelong badges from over the last 50 years4.

HAWTHORN The Hawks

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Hawkers'.

Formed in 1902. Joined the VFL in 1925.
Premiers: 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988-89, 1991, 2008.

Brown and gold are the colours of the maybloom flower so 'Mayblooms' was the floral epithet used in the early days. In 1933 the club reversed its jumper colour to a brown V on a yellow background and so earned the nickname 'Mustard Pots'. Only one year later the jumper changed back, yellow V on brown background, so the 'Mayblooms' returned¹. South Melbourne's legendary Roy Cazaly took over the coaching role at Hawthorn in 1942 and, in May 1943, he announced that the club would now have a more aggressive image and the 'Hawks' replaced the 'Mayblooms'². Pity.
Click on the badge to see replica Hawthorn badges from over the last 50 years4.

KANGAROOS The Kangaroos

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Roos'; 'Kangas'; 'Rooboys'; Shinboners'; 'North'.

North Melbourne's playing name from 2000.

See NORTH MELBOURNE.

MELBOURNE The Demons

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Dees'; 'Redlegs'.

Formed in 1858. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897.
Premiers: 1900, 1926, 1939-41, 1948, 1955-57, 1959-60, 1964.

In its early years the club wore all-white outfits and was known as the 'Whites' or 'Invincible Whites' prior to 1872¹. A member of the club, Larry Bell, returned from a trip to England with four pairs of stockinged socks, the two red pairs went to the Melbourne club and the nickname of 'Redlegs', still used today, was born. Melbourne added blue knickerbockers and guernsey as well as a red cap to make up their outfit in the same year, 1872. This ensemble led to the 'Fuchsias' nickname also being used, as the red cap reminded many of this flower. Frank 'Checker' Hughes, a premiership player and coach at Richmond, took over the coaching role at Melbourne in 1933. Legend has it that, early in his tenure, 'Checker' told his players You are playing like a lot of flowers. Lift your heads and play like demons! The name was promptly embraced and the 'Demons' went on to win four premierships during 'Checker's' reign.
Click on the badge to see replica Melbourne badges from over the last 50 years4.

NORTH MELBOURNE The Kangaroos

Formed in 1869. Joined the VFL in 1925. Playing name 'Kangaroos' from 2000.
Premiers: 1975, 1977, 1996, 1999.

The club was widely known as the 'Shinboners' for much of their early history. This may have been due to a reputation for some of their players swinging their boots near opponents legs. Local butchers were known to display beef leg-bones dressed up in the club's blue and white colours which probably added to the legend². In 1926, their second season in the VFL, the club were known as the 'Blue Birds' but this nickname did not last¹. In 1950¹, or was it 1954², the club adopted the Kangaroo as its emblem, and the nickname 'Kangaroos' and its abbreviation, 'Roos' quickly gained popular acceptance.
Click on the badge to see replica North Melbourne badges from the last 50 years4.

PORT ADELAIDE The Power

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Port'.

Formed in 1870. Joined the AFL in 1997.
Premiers: 2004.

Port Adelaide's first concerted push to enter the AFL spurred the rest of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) into action and the Adelaide 'Crows' became the first SA team to join the AFL. Probably the most famous club outside the VFL/AFL, South Australia's 'Magpies' continued to press for inclusion in the national competition and when they finally got their wish, they had to come up with a new moniker as some team, younger and less successful, had already taken the 'Magpies' name. Whilst the 'Pirates', 'Black Diamonds', 'Mariners' and 'Sharks' were all given consideration, the 'Power' nickname was revealed to the world at a function on 31 August 1995³.

RICHMOND The Tigers

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Tiges'.

Formed in 1885. Joined the VFL in 1908.
Premiers: 1920-21, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1967, 1969, 1973-74, 1980.

Originally the 'Richmondites', the club wore yellow and black from 1888 onwards and, in the early 1890s, its original home at Punt Road became known as 'the Jungle' and the team as the 'Tigers'¹. Some sources list the 'Yellow and Black Angels'² and the 'Wasps' as nicknames also used prior to 1920, however, around this time a 'local legend' by the name of Miles was instrumental in the 'Tiger' gaining acceptance. Legend has it that Miles could not afford the sixpence required for a ticket to the Punt Road ground so he would climb a large gum tree just outside to watch the matches. In a booming voice he would yell Eat 'em alive, Tigers!, a catchcry that soon became universal. The nickname 'Fighting Fury', which appears as a line in the club's song, gets occasional use.
Click on the badge to see replica Richmond badges from over the last 50 years4.

ST KILDA The Saints

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Sainters'.

Formed in 1873. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897.
Premiers: 1966.

In 1886 the club commenced playing its home games at the St Kilda Cricket Ground and the sobriquet 'Saints', derived from the club's name, gained popular acceptance around this time. Several attempts were made to provide the club with a more aggressive emblem but both the 'Seagulls'² of the 1930's and the 'Panthers'¹ of 1945 failed to gain acceptance.
Click on the badge to see replica St Kilda badges from over the last 50 years4.
Click on this logo to see a rare St Kilda Seagulls logo circa 19405.

SOUTH MELBOURNE The Swans

Formed in 1874. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Relocated to Sydney in 1982.
Premiers: 1909, 1918, 1933.

The 'Southerners' were known mainly as the 'Bloods' in their early years, a reference to the bold red of their outfits. The colourful epithet 'Blood Stained Angels' was also in use². Prior to the 1932 season the club recruited so heavily from interstate that the team was known in the press as the Foreign Legion. Six of these recruits were from Western Australia, a state whose emblem had long been the swan. That, along with the club's home ground being alongside Albert Park lake where the large white birds were often seen, possibly led to the 'Swans' gaining widespread acceptance. The Foreign Legion winning the 1933 premiership solidified the 'Swans' popularity. The nickname was kept when the team relocated to Sydney.
Click on the badge to see replica South Melbourne badges from the last 50 years4.

SYDNEY SWANS The Swans

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Bloods'; 'Swannies'.

Relocated from South Melbourne in 1982.

UNIVERSITY The Students/The Professors

Joined the VFL in 1908. Retired from the VFL at the end of the 1914 season.

Known as the 'Students' or the 'Professors'¹ as its players were almost exclusively drawn from the University of Melbourne's ranks - players had to have a matriculation certificate or higher degree to be selected. The club went into an hiatus during the First World War and re-surfaced in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in 1919, where it still fields teams to this day.

WEST COAST EAGLES The Eagles

Formed in 1987. Joined the VFL in 1987.
Premiers: 1992, 1994, 2006.

The travelling involved with being the then only team playing out of Perth and the "size and ferocity of the bird" lead to the choice of the 'Eagle' emblem, unveiled on 30 October 1986³. The choice of the name 'West Coast', rather than the more obvious and logical 'Perth', was due to a 'Perth' team already playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).

WESTERN BULLDOGS The Bulldogs

Nickname variations in modern use: 'Dogs'; 'Doggies'; 'Bullies'; 'Scraggers'; 'The Scray'.

Footscray's playing name from 1997.

Home AFL NBA Footnotes Webmaster's Notes	Australian Football League 1897 to present (known as the Victorian Football League until 1990) There's long been 'Saints', but does anyone remember 'Angels', either 'Blood Stained' or 'Yellow and Black'? What did the supporters of the 'Fuchsias' and 'Mayblooms' yell out to encourage their players and put fear into the hearts of their opponents? Did you ever wonder what happened to the 'Cockatoos', the 'Panthers' or even the mighty 'Gorillas'? Maybe not, but here are their stories anyway.
	[Click on team jumpers to go to official team home pages.]
	Adelaide Brisbane Lions Carlton Collingwood Essendon Fremantle Geelong Hawthorn Kangaroos Melbourne Port Adelaide Richmond St Kilda Sydney Swans West Coast Eagles Western Bulldogs Defunct Team University
	[Click on individual club badges below to see replica badges from fifty years ago up until recent versions, some of which show the evolution of each club's logo4.]
	ADELAIDE The Crows Formed in 1991. Joined the AFL in 1991. Premiers: 1997-1998. With South Australians known as the 'Croweaters' in State then State-Of-Origin football for many years, the 'Crows' nickname probably seemed an obvious choice, however, the 'Sharks' was also seriously considered³.
	BRISBANE BEARS The Bears Formed in 1986. Joined the VFL in 1986. Merged with Fitzroy in 1997. Chosen by the founding owners of the club¹, the nickname 'Bears' stood at odds with the adoption of the the koala as the logo and the mascot. (The koala, native to Australia, is not related to the bear.) This said, adoption of the name 'Brisbane' stood at odds with the fact that the team was headquartered, trained and played on the Gold Coast! The merger with Fitzroy at the end of the 1996 season saw the 'Bears' nickname dropped in favour of the 'Lions'.
	BRISBANE LIONS The Lions Nickname variations in modern use: 'Brissie'. Formed by the merger of Brisbane and Fitzroy in 1997. Premiers: 2001-2003. With the merge of Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears at the end of the 1996 season the 'Lions' nickname was adopted - see FITZROY.
	CARLTON The Blues Nickname variations in modern use: 'Blueboys'; 'Bluebaggers'; 'Baggers'. Formed in 1864. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Premiers: 1906-08, 1914-15, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981-82, 1987, 1995. Players originally wore dark blue caps and the club was known as the 'Blues' or the 'Navy Blues' from its early days. In its early years Carlton was equally as well known as the 'Butchers' because it wore-tight-fitting blue dungaree jackets reminiscent of butchers of the time¹. Some newspapers before the First World War referred to Carlton as the 'Brewers'. An attempt to introduce the 'Cockatoo' mascot after World War Two was not successful². Click on the badge to see replica Carlton badges from over the last 50 years4.
	COLLINGWOOD The Magpies Nickname variations in modern use: 'Pies'; 'Maggies'; Woods'; 'The Carringbush'. Formed in 1892. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Premiers: 1902-03, 1910, 1917, 1919, 1927-30, 1935-36, 1953, 1958, 1990. Large numbers of magpies frequented the banks of the Yarra River near the Victoria Park ground, Collingwood's original home. The colours of their uniform matched those of the magpie and the club's motto, Floreat Pica, can be translated as May the Magpie prosper². In its early days the club was also know as the 'Flatties' or 'Flatites' as the suburb was and is ... flat³. Click on the badge to see replica Collingwood badges from over the last 50 years4.
	ESSENDON The Bombers Nickname variations in modern use: 'Dons'. Formed in 1873. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Premiers: 1897, 1901, 1911-12, 1923-24, 1942, 1946, 1949-50, 1962, 1965, 1984-85, 1993, 2000. To differentiate it from an Essendon football club that played in the old Victorian Football Association (VFA) between 1900 and 1921, the VFL's Essendon were known as the 'Same Olds', a name apparently inspired by the club's founding family, the McCrackens¹. The nickname 'Dons', an abbreviation of the club title, has been in use from early in the club's history². During the 1940s, with the club's home base being close to the war-time airport, the term 'Bombers' came into popular use. Click on the badge to see replica Essendon badges from over the last 50 years4.
	FITZROY The Lions Formed in 1883. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Merged with Brisbane in 1997. Premiers: 1898-1899, 1904-05, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1944. Originally known as the 'Maroons' (please pronounce it correctly - marōōn) after Fitzroy guernsey's predominant colour, from 1939 the club became known as the 'Gorillas'¹. As this nickname increasingly became a target for derision, the 'Lions' emblem was adopted in 1957 and immediately became popular². The club was also known as the 'Roys' (a shortened version of Fitzroy), or even the 'Roy Boys', throughout most of its history. The merge of Fitzroy with Brisbane at the end of the 1996 season saw the 'Lions' nickname retained. Click on the badge to see replica Fitzroy badges from the last 50 years4. Click on this badge to see a rare Fitzroy Gorillas badge circa 1950s.
	FOOTSCRAY The Bulldogs Formed in 1886. Joined the VFL in 1925. Playing name 'Western Bulldogs' from 1997. Premiers: 1954. Prior to joining the VFL, Footscray had been known most commonly as the 'Tricolours', after their red, white and blue club colours, and the 'Scray', an abbreviation of the club title¹. One story has it that the club was dubbed the 'Bulldogs' after a genuine bulldog accidentally led the players out for a game in 1928 against Collingwood². The nickname was only officially adopted in 1938 but the connection is also said to go back to a song of the late 1880s called The Boys of the Bulldog Breed that the payers adopted as their battle cry. The team's play in the mid 1910s was often referred to as displaying bulldog tenacity, the club's 1921 membership ticket had a bulldog head printed on it and, in 1921, a local newspaper declared that Footscray would now be called the 'bull dogs'. The team has also long been known as the 'Scraggers'. Click on the badge to see replica Footscray badges from the last 50 years4.
	FREMANTLE The Dockers Nickname variations in modern use: 'Freo' Formed in 1995. Joined the AFL in 1995. The 'Cobras' was a nickname that had been considered but in the end they went with a local marketing firm's choice - the 'Dockers'³. The name relates back to the locale's port and also has a similar ring to the famous "Fremantle Doctor", the wind which blows in from the ocean most/each (?) afternoon.
	GEELONG The Cats Nickname variations in modern use: 'Catters'. Formed in 1859. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Premiers: 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951-52, 1963, 2007. As the city of Geelong was the centre of commerce for Victoria's Western District, the team were known as the 'Pivotonians' for most of their first 60 years. The abbreviated form, the 'Pivots', was occasionally used, as was the 'Seagulls', in reference to the proximity to the sea of Corio Oval, their original home². The birth of the 'Cats' nickname dates back to a match played on 30 June 1923 when a black cat mingled with the Collingwood Reserves side at the three-quarter time huddle, and the Geelong team started to play well. Sam Wells, a cartoonist with the Melbourne daily newspaper, the Herald, had a cartoon published suggesting that the previously poorly performing Geelong side may also benefit from the presence of the cat¹. After winning their next game, club captain Bert Rankin joined in the joke, noting that the black cat helped them win. The club continued to improve, winning seven of nine games after the 'cat' cartoon, and made the finals. The popularity of the feline emblem naturally grew. Click on the badge to see replica Geelong badges from over the last 50 years4.
	HAWTHORN The Hawks Nickname variations in modern use: 'Hawkers'. Formed in 1902. Joined the VFL in 1925. Premiers: 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988-89, 1991, 2008. Brown and gold are the colours of the maybloom flower so 'Mayblooms' was the floral epithet used in the early days. In 1933 the club reversed its jumper colour to a brown V on a yellow background and so earned the nickname 'Mustard Pots'. Only one year later the jumper changed back, yellow V on brown background, so the 'Mayblooms' returned¹. South Melbourne's legendary Roy Cazaly took over the coaching role at Hawthorn in 1942 and, in May 1943, he announced that the club would now have a more aggressive image and the 'Hawks' replaced the 'Mayblooms'². Pity. Click on the badge to see replica Hawthorn badges from over the last 50 years4.
	KANGAROOS The Kangaroos Nickname variations in modern use: 'Roos'; 'Kangas'; 'Rooboys'; Shinboners'; 'North'. North Melbourne's playing name from 2000. See NORTH MELBOURNE.
	MELBOURNE The Demons Nickname variations in modern use: 'Dees'; 'Redlegs'. Formed in 1858. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Premiers: 1900, 1926, 1939-41, 1948, 1955-57, 1959-60, 1964. In its early years the club wore all-white outfits and was known as the 'Whites' or 'Invincible Whites' prior to 1872¹. A member of the club, Larry Bell, returned from a trip to England with four pairs of stockinged socks, the two red pairs went to the Melbourne club and the nickname of 'Redlegs', still used today, was born. Melbourne added blue knickerbockers and guernsey as well as a red cap to make up their outfit in the same year, 1872. This ensemble led to the 'Fuchsias' nickname also being used, as the red cap reminded many of this flower. Frank 'Checker' Hughes, a premiership player and coach at Richmond, took over the coaching role at Melbourne in 1933. Legend has it that, early in his tenure, 'Checker' told his players You are playing like a lot of flowers. Lift your heads and play like demons! The name was promptly embraced and the 'Demons' went on to win four premierships during 'Checker's' reign. Click on the badge to see replica Melbourne badges from over the last 50 years4.
	NORTH MELBOURNE The Kangaroos Formed in 1869. Joined the VFL in 1925. Playing name 'Kangaroos' from 2000. Premiers: 1975, 1977, 1996, 1999. The club was widely known as the 'Shinboners' for much of their early history. This may have been due to a reputation for some of their players swinging their boots near opponents legs. Local butchers were known to display beef leg-bones dressed up in the club's blue and white colours which probably added to the legend². In 1926, their second season in the VFL, the club were known as the 'Blue Birds' but this nickname did not last¹. In 1950¹, or was it 1954², the club adopted the Kangaroo as its emblem, and the nickname 'Kangaroos' and its abbreviation, 'Roos' quickly gained popular acceptance. Click on the badge to see replica North Melbourne badges from the last 50 years4.
	PORT ADELAIDE The Power Nickname variations in modern use: 'Port'. Formed in 1870. Joined the AFL in 1997. Premiers: 2004. Port Adelaide's first concerted push to enter the AFL spurred the rest of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) into action and the Adelaide 'Crows' became the first SA team to join the AFL. Probably the most famous club outside the VFL/AFL, South Australia's 'Magpies' continued to press for inclusion in the national competition and when they finally got their wish, they had to come up with a new moniker as some team, younger and less successful, had already taken the 'Magpies' name. Whilst the 'Pirates', 'Black Diamonds', 'Mariners' and 'Sharks' were all given consideration, the 'Power' nickname was revealed to the world at a function on 31 August 1995³.
	RICHMOND The Tigers Nickname variations in modern use: 'Tiges'. Formed in 1885. Joined the VFL in 1908. Premiers: 1920-21, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1967, 1969, 1973-74, 1980. Originally the 'Richmondites', the club wore yellow and black from 1888 onwards and, in the early 1890s, its original home at Punt Road became known as 'the Jungle' and the team as the 'Tigers'¹. Some sources list the 'Yellow and Black Angels'² and the 'Wasps' as nicknames also used prior to 1920, however, around this time a 'local legend' by the name of Miles was instrumental in the 'Tiger' gaining acceptance. Legend has it that Miles could not afford the sixpence required for a ticket to the Punt Road ground so he would climb a large gum tree just outside to watch the matches. In a booming voice he would yell Eat 'em alive, Tigers!, a catchcry that soon became universal. The nickname 'Fighting Fury', which appears as a line in the club's song, gets occasional use. Click on the badge to see replica Richmond badges from over the last 50 years4.
	ST KILDA The Saints Nickname variations in modern use: 'Sainters'. Formed in 1873. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Premiers: 1966. In 1886 the club commenced playing its home games at the St Kilda Cricket Ground and the sobriquet 'Saints', derived from the club's name, gained popular acceptance around this time. Several attempts were made to provide the club with a more aggressive emblem but both the 'Seagulls'² of the 1930's and the 'Panthers'¹ of 1945 failed to gain acceptance. Click on the badge to see replica St Kilda badges from over the last 50 years4. Click on this logo to see a rare St Kilda Seagulls logo circa 19405.
	SOUTH MELBOURNE The Swans Formed in 1874. Foundation member of the VFL in 1897. Relocated to Sydney in 1982. Premiers: 1909, 1918, 1933. The 'Southerners' were known mainly as the 'Bloods' in their early years, a reference to the bold red of their outfits. The colourful epithet 'Blood Stained Angels' was also in use². Prior to the 1932 season the club recruited so heavily from interstate that the team was known in the press as the Foreign Legion. Six of these recruits were from Western Australia, a state whose emblem had long been the swan. That, along with the club's home ground being alongside Albert Park lake where the large white birds were often seen, possibly led to the 'Swans' gaining widespread acceptance. The Foreign Legion winning the 1933 premiership solidified the 'Swans' popularity. The nickname was kept when the team relocated to Sydney. Click on the badge to see replica South Melbourne badges from the last 50 years4.
	SYDNEY SWANS The Swans Nickname variations in modern use: 'Bloods'; 'Swannies'. Relocated from South Melbourne in 1982. Premiers: 2005. See SOUTH MELBOURNE.
	UNIVERSITY The Students/The Professors Joined the VFL in 1908. Retired from the VFL at the end of the 1914 season. Known as the 'Students' or the 'Professors'¹ as its players were almost exclusively drawn from the University of Melbourne's ranks - players had to have a matriculation certificate or higher degree to be selected. The club went into an hiatus during the First World War and re-surfaced in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in 1919, where it still fields teams to this day.
	WEST COAST EAGLES *The Eagles* Formed in 1987. Joined the VFL in 1987. Premiers: 1992, 1994, 2006. The travelling involved with being the then only team playing out of Perth and the "size and ferocity of the bird" lead to the choice of the 'Eagle' emblem, unveiled on 30 October 1986³. The choice of the name 'West Coast', rather than the more obvious and logical 'Perth', was due to a 'Perth' team already playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
	WESTERN BULLDOGS The Bulldogs Nickname variations in modern use: 'Dogs'; 'Doggies'; 'Bullies'; 'Scraggers'; 'The Scray'. Footscray's playing name from 1997. See FOOTSCRAY.