As a passionate Essendon supporter I certainly see reason why many ‘traditionalist’ Essendon supporters are upset and beside themselves at Essendon’s clash strip, a predominate grey colour.
I however am not fussed by this apparent 140 year change. In fact I like the new strip.
It’s modern, innovative and has a touch of prestige with Essendon marketing the clash strip as a heritage guernsey.
Every Essendon player to have won a premiership has their name on the jumper and arguably the best player to play for Essendon, Dick Reynolds has his name and signature upon the breast of the jumper.
This uproar and disgust of changing history maybe needs to be viewed by the whole history of the Essendon Football Club and how many changes it has gone through in its rich history as a one of the most powerful and successful clubs in the world.
Many people complain about the changes to the traditional colours of red and black but do we actually know how the colours of red and black came about?
In fact it was the Essendon Rowing Club at the time who borrowed horse racing silks for their races in which the red and black tradition started.
There is also reason to believe through historical archives that Essendon started with red and black stripes, not the traditional sash we see today.
Ironically when Essendon first began, uniforms were not apart of the football club. Instead players wore their dark blue work uniforms to play in and to avoid clashing with other players from different clubs, who also wore their work attire, adopted a red sash over the top of their work gear. Much like kids in a primary school PE lesson!
History has also shown not just changes to Essendon’s uniform over the years but many traditions have changed over Essendon’s inception. For years I have simply known Essendon as the “Bombers”.
However this did not come about until the 1940’s with their direct proximity to the Essendon aerodrome during the war. Previous to this Essendon were known as the “Sash Wearers” and the “Essendonians” which have all be it abandoned.
The Essendon logo has gone numerous changes and as it stands has no direct link to any form of its original logo. In my lifetime alone I have seen over four logo changes.
My point is that yes the alternate strip is not your classic Essendon jumper and for many Essendon fans it is pulling away from the steep traditions of the Essendon football club.
The hype Caroline Wilson placed on the topic was nothing but pulling at heart strings. Describing the jumper as ‘diluting tradition’ and therefore the ‘history and power’ of the football club is a joke! Let’s put some perspective on this. It is a jumper! I think what we need to remember is it is not colours or the buildings that make a football club and its steep history, it is the people within it that make it.
When my Bombers run out on the field against the Saints, I know the boys running out have the heritage, tradition and passion like the Essendon players of the past and will play excellent football regardless of their strip.
GCS
Guest
Kasey, because the A league is only 7 years old, you probably don't get what a jumper means to AFL supporters. In time you probably will. The rule changes impoves the game (sometimes), but changing the uniform doesn't. I don't mind the Essendon clash jumper, but if you were a Bombers supporter, would you want to see them wearing that in a grand final?
mccartney
Guest
It's funny how people like to put slogans to tasteless change - it is "modern" - why is it modern? is it because it is grey? Is grey a modern colour that wasn't around in the "old days". People buy pointless slogans - obviously you are one of them. If they have to change the guernsey then at least use the colours of the club - red and black. Incorporating grey or white or whatever else the AFL head office wants is purely nonsensical....but I know...don't tell me....you have bought into the AFL argument that red is a "dark" colour. More nonsense to brainwash the ignorant. Oh...and if that argument doesn't work you can always fall back on the "if it is good enough for Manchester United then it is good enough for Essendon". Sheep abound.
GCS
Guest
Lroy - I also think Crameri was unlucky, but the rule these days is that if you go for the bump and make contact with the head then you are culpable. The bulldogs players ended up with a broken jaw, so the MRP had no other choice really.
Australian Rules
Guest
Clash strips should be only worn if clearly necessary. Hawthorn wearing that rank white jersey, rather than their traditional brown and gold stripes against Carlton, was a mystery to me.
Australian Rules
Guest
I think GCS makes a fair point if you cared to actually read it Kasey (rather than blow your stack with an inane "sokkah is stoopid" insinuation). Man Utd were formed in 1878 but only starting wearing red shirts from 1902. Essendon FC formed in 1871 and wore their red sash from 1875. They have never worn anything else. This isn't a comment about which sport or club is "better" or some other hypersensitive nonsense. It simply points out that soccer clubs are used to having a variety of clash strips. This is a new thing in ARF.
Diablo
Guest
Exactly. AFL is more fun when you can't tell the teams apart. The rest of the world has had 'away' strips for a century now but common sense doesn't seem to apply to the AFL. Is this the dumbest debate in the history of sport?
Kasey
Guest
Lroy, when considering the changes to tactics, faster pace from increased athleticism of the players, different jersey fabrics, the game barely resembles the same game of 30 years ago let alone 140 years ago! The game has changed and by extension so must some of the elements of that game, in this case the uniforms . Why the panties are being got into a twist over something as simple as a change/clash strip is beyond the comprehension. If the AFL community was really concerned with the heritage of the game it wouldn't have changed the rules every damned season since 1990 would it? Hell lets go back to the players wearing stockings and little caps!
Lroy
Guest
Teams have been playing against each other for 140 odd years without a "change" guernsey... why start now?? Pies and North Melbourne played 2 grand finals against each other wearing nearly identical strips back in 1977.. I recall watching it as a kid on the black and white telly... only way you could tell them apart was north had blue shorts... which looked nearly black.. This new requirement is just a marketing ploy... More importantly, why aren't you Bomber types up in arms over your bloke getting suspended for a perfect hip and shoulder? Seriously, the guy he hit was standing up straight, wasn't bent over... it was the perfect bump.. isn't there any onus on the ball carrier any more to be aware of what is coming?? The guy has got eyes in his head hasn't he??
Kasey
Guest
Adding a sublimated pattern for example (a relatively modern technology) is hardly changing the basic design of the kit. Man Utd..red top, white shorts, black socks. Liverpool, red tops, red shorts red socks.
Greggy Dee
Guest
While I have nothing against the new clash/heritage jumper a few points of difference with the writer. Essendon Football clubs colours have always been red & black. From what I understand, the paragraph where the writer states that Essendon may have worn black & red stripes is incorrect. In fact, the writer contradicts that paragraph with the very next one sayin that the players wore their work uniforms with a red sash. The first official uniforms were purchased by the club in 1889 and consisted on a black jumper with the red sash. A interesting fact that I heard a few years ago was that Essendon has consistantly worn the same jumper for longer than any football club in the world.
GCS
Guest
No it's not. Man Utd and Liverpool might always wear red at home but their shirt design still changes. Over the last ten years Man Utd have had shirts with a white trim, black trim, without any trim, a black v, black strips down the side. 10 years time, the Essendon and Collingwood jumpers will still be the same, but you can't say the same thing with soccer clubs.
Redb
Roar Guru
As an Essendon member I have no issue whatsoever with the clash jumper.
Kasey
Guest
That’s complete horsesh*t, spoken like a true provincial “Sokkah is stoopid” fool. Please tell me when Liverpool have failed to wear Red at Anfield or Man Utd Red at Old Trafford? This isue is notthing but childish petulance from Essendon and Collongwood. Nobody is asking Essendon to stop wearing their traditional guernsey at away games. Simply when they are the away team and the potential for confusion exists. All this issue does is re-highlight the small minded provincial nature of a few AFL clubs.
Matt F
Roar Guru
Probably for $$$. New jersey designs generally increase sales because there are always some fans who have to have the latest gear, especially kids. Obviously there would be an outrage if they changed their main jumper so they can't do much there, but they can release a new clash jumper every couple of seasons.
GCS
Guest
The jumper means more to the AFL clubs than the shirt means to soccer clubs. A famous club like Liverpool seems happy to change their design every couple of years.
GCS
Guest
True, how did that get past the drawing board. You'd almost think the manufacturers would have rang the club and said 'you sure about this'. Don't know why Hawthorn need a clash jumper anyway, who do they clash with? The most recent one is an absolute monstrosity as well.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I think they should incorporate shots and lyrics of the world's greatest band "The Clash". Although "The Clash" would not put their name to such corporate shite.
Kev
Guest
I'm actually surprised that Essendon was the last club to have an alternate jumper given how Collingwood and McGuire in particular, carried on like insolent children whenever the issue of an alternate strip came up. I can recall McGuire on the Footy Show years ago sarcastically pulling out a clash jumper that was made up of pieces of the jumpers from the other 15 clubs and thought to myself, grow up you pathetic child.
Kasey
Guest
The thing is, ManUtd would never wear a sky blue kit (If you can find evidence of such I will be a monkey’s uncle). They choose their path rather than having it forced upon them externally. Essendon have had plenty of chances to do the same here and it is a shame to see the same luddites making the same comments from the higher echelons of the game to allow this to continue. Just suck it up Essendon, you are not bigger than the game. All this malarkey(and Collingwood’s version) is just arrogance in the extreme.
GCS
Guest
Kasey - Man Utd are less like Man Utd when they wear blue, because Man Utd is synonymous with red. If they wore white away with a bit of red and black trim then it would be different. How about if Man Utd wore a pale blue shirt like their City rivals, would that be different?