Origin of the Adelaide Football Club's Jumper
“A football jumper can be characterised as a totem – an enblematic object that symbolises and unites the tribe”
Graham Cornes, Inaugural Coach of the Adelaide Crows
In late 1990 a new team was admitted into the AFL – the Adelaide Football Club. It had no logo, colours or jumper. One of the first priorities of the interim board was to decide on these.
Many suggestions and designs were put forward. One of these was a blue, green and white jumper with an esoteric design representing South Australia’s coastline separating the land and the sea. About to try to bring together a disparate group of players from various clubs and states, it was clear that not only the design didn’t give an impression of strength but it would not work as a rallying object as in “do it for the jumper!”
It was important that colours and pattern meant something that the players, the club, the fans could identify with, own and be proud of. The board determined that and as the team was going to be the inaugural South Australian team in the competition, it should proudly wear the state’s colours and hence red, navy and gold were claimed and used to produce an appropriate “football jumper”.
And design? Traditionally football jumpers have comprised variations of stripes, hoops or sashes. Adelaide opted for broad hoops. It worked. Standing anonymously in the crowd at a trial match in Bunbury WA, the first time the jumper was worn interstate, Board Members Ed Betro and Adrian Sutter smiled and puffed out their chests when a spectator within earshot remarked “What a great football strip!”
Coach Graham Cornes had his totem and while it has undergone some modifications over the years it remains and is worn proudly as the club’s main home jumper.
One of the first jumper prototypes; a version of the Crows jumper with a collar; Bruce Lindner; Mark Mickan, Eddie Hocking, Bruce Lindsay all in 1991.
Set of Jumpers Worn in the First AFL Game
