Research Club Nicknames and Mascots

[West_Coast_Eagles]

Is there a story behind each clubs mascot?

Swans most know because of the Western Australia players playing for south.

Bombers because of Essendon airport.

 

[davos44]

Is there a story behind each clubs mascot?

Swans most know because of the Western Australia players playing for south.

Bombers because of Essendon airport.

Crows because of the "Croweaters" terminology. They originally thought it was too corny but it kinda stuck, when the Crows were born they were also wanting "Sharks" but that name was already registered by the QAFL team. Lakers also came up but it was a too "basketball" (West Lakes)

 

[Beetlebum]

This may not be right, though it sounds good but I heard that Collingwood are the magpies because of all the magpies that would swoop the supporters going down Lulie Street to watch the team play at Vic Park. This probably needs confirming by a Pies fan.

Some of them were just picked at random I think (Fitzroy Lions, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Port Power, Suns, Giants, etc)

Dockers is an easy one, Freo's a port so they named the team after the dock workers. Not sure why they didn't choose Wharfies given that's what Freo dock workers are called.

 

[benji2]

Pretty sure Checker Hughes coined the 'Demons' nickname in the mid-1930s not long after he took over the coaching reins at Melbourne as he thought the 'Fuchsias' wasn't very imposing, to say the least

 

[Supermercado]

Pretty sure Checker Hughes coined the 'Demons' nickname in the mid-1930s not long after he took over the coaching reins at Melbourne as he thought the 'Fuchsias' wasn't very imposing, to say the least

Story is he was ripping into them at 3/4 time and told them to play "like Demons" and they won.

Certainly a step up on the Fuschias.

 

[AtomicBlonde]

Loved seeing the mascots run around the ground back in the day:

 

[stmookeyj]

Originally Gold Coast weren't going to have a mascot or nickname if I'm not mistaken....

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Pretty sure Checker Hughes coined the 'Demons' nickname in the mid-1930s not long after he took over the coaching reins at Melbourne as he thought the 'Fuchsias' wasn't very imposing, to say the least

Similar story at Hawthorn who were the Mayblooms.

Essendon were known as the "Same Olds" before clubs started adopting official nicknames.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Originally Gold Coast weren't going to have a mascot or nickname if I'm not mistaken....

Correct. Great idea too I think - a nickname should be just that - something that naturally evolves from the supporters. You don't give yourself a nickname.

Unfortuantely in today's world where everything needs to be branded, the idea was never going to last.

 

[Running Dog]

Correct. Great idea too I think - a nickname should be just that - something that naturally evolves from the supporters. You don't give yourself a nickname.

Unfortuantely in today's world where everything needs to be branded, the idea was never going to last.

I agree. Footscray were once known semi-officially as the Tricolors and/or the Imperials. They came off the field after one match and a barracker is alleged to have remarked that they "fought like Bulldogs", and the new name stuck.

This thread should have been title 'club nicknames'. Not much in here about mascots.

 

[Michael Riley]

The Argus 23-Apr-1938 p8 -

A good example of VFL mascots from the 1930's

Note the cocky (Carlton?) and the Mexican?/Butcher (NMelb?)...Also the Gorilla (Fitzroy)...Missing Hawthorn and Essendon?

 

[benji2]

The Argus 23-Apr-1938 p8 -

A good example of VFL mascots from the 1930's

Note the cocky (Carlton?) and the Mexican?/Butcher (NMelb?)...Also the Gorilla (Fitzroy)...Missing Hawthorn and Essendon?

Love that picture! The Butcher would be a North Melbourne Shinboner. Never heard of the Cockatoo for Carlton?!

 

[Michael Riley]

see http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Other+Club+Nicknames

 

[Freofalcon]

Love that picture! The Butcher would be a North Melbourne Shinboner. Never heard of the Cockatoo for Carlton?!

Butcher. Makes sense. I was about to ask who were called the Knife Throwing Mexicans.

 

[benji2]

Butcher. Makes sense. I was about to ask who were called the Knife Throwing Mexicans.

That would be a great nickname...

I'm guessing Essendon were still the Same Old and Hawthorn the Mayblooms, so they couldn't be drawn.

Also, the Cockies got the chocolates that year...

 

[invinciBlues]

Butcher. Makes sense. I was about to ask who were called the Knife Throwing Mexicans.

Dibs on the band name

 

[Freofalcon]

Dibs on the band name

For 10% of all future band earnings it's all yours.

 

[royals1922]

Love that picture! The Butcher would be a North Melbourne Shinboner. Never heard of the Cockatoo for Carlton?!

As pointed out on a previous thread, prior to 1935 there are no references on Trove to NM being the Shinboners so the cartoon's timing is correct.

 

[royals1922]

Essendon became the bombers in 1940 ( see the Argus 10 April 1940 at page 17). The article also says that Essendon's nicknames before were the Same Olds or the Red and blacks.

 

[Engimal]

North were the shinboners for a fair while. Reportedly had something to do the butchers on Arden Street but there's no official reason that I know of. In the 50s, a president (Tobin, I think) switched the name to the Kangaroos as he wanted an emblem that people could show pride in and kangaroos, being uniquely Australian, were an obvious choice. The switch was bound to happen sometime. I can't imagine a current team being called the 'Shinboners' and having a man dressed up in a giant shinbone pump up the crowd.

 

[SJ]

I can't imagine a man dressed as a Kangaroo pumps up the crowd much either.

It was a nickname, not as mascot. Some of the best club/team nicknames do not make sense as mascots.

 

[royals1922]

As pointed out in another thread - Melbourne were originally known as the "White Invincibles" before they became the redlegs.

As for the use of the shinboners, as I have posted before, prior to 1935 I could not find one reference to NM being the shinboners while the use of the name of "magpies" for Collingwood was commonplace.

Equally the nickname the "gluepotter" was used for NM as was acknowledged in the Argus of 24 April 1937 at page 25 which gave the following nicknames for teams:

Carlton Dark Blues
Collingwood Magpies
Essendon "Same Old"
Fitzroy Maroons
Footscray Bulldogs
Geelong Black Cats
Hawthorn Mayblooms
Melbourne Redlegs or Red Demons
Richmond Tigers
South Melbourne Swans
St Kilda Saints or Tricolours
and NM Gluepotters ( because their home ground was called the Gluepot.

I'd go with a contemporary source rather than recent invention.

 

[Michael Riley]

I can't imagine a man dressed as a Kangaroo pumps up the crowd much either.

It was a nickname, not as mascot. Some of the best club/team nicknames do not make sense as mascots.

The Age 17-Apr-1954 p9 Jack O'Halloran Bryan Martyn Laurie Icke North Melbourne

 

[SJ]

Doesn't pump up the crowd though.

 

[Engimal]

I can't imagine a man dressed as a Kangaroo pumps up the crowd much either.

It was a nickname, not as mascot. Some of the best club/team nicknames do not make sense as mascots.

It was more to do with the emblem though. The representation of the club. A shinbone would be ridiculed today.