Research Club Nicknames and Mascots

[SJ]

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

Shinboner.

What about a Rabbitoh? A Toffee? A Maple Leaf?

I could go on and on and on.

 

[Engimal]

Shinboner.

What about a Rabbitoh? A Toffee? A Maple Leaf?

I could go on and on and on.

I guess so. But surely you'd have to agree that it'd be easier to warm to a Kangaroo than a shinbone?

 

[royals1922]

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

It appears that the "shinboners" was more an unofficial nickname. It first appears in the press in 1935 and is found spottily until the first NM GF where it got a few references and then the change to the Kangaroos followed.

 

[Engimal]

It appears that the "shinboners" was more an unofficial nickname. It first appears in the press in 1935 and is found spottily until the first NM GF where it got a few references and then the change to the Kangaroos followed.

Yeah, I can't find anything prior to 35 about it. In 1935, Cairo Dixon won the award for 'Best Shinboner'. Wally Carter won the Syd Barker medal that year so it appears that, in 1935, the idea of the Shinboner that we now in the 'Shinboner spirit' was established at that point.

 

[sverik25]

Weren't Geelong known as the Pivotonians at some stage?

 

[benji2]

I guess so. But surely you'd have to agree that it'd be easier to warm to a Kangaroo than a shinbone?

Carn the 'boners? The Shinnies? The 'Knifies' (short for knife-throwing Mexicans)?

 

[Engimal]

Carn the 'boners? The Shinnies? The 'Knifies' (short for knife-throwing Mexicans)?

Haha. I love the fact that that picture has the North Melbourne guy wearing a sombrero. Ridiculous.

 

[Mero]

Official North historian Father Gerard Dowling believes the Shinboners name comes from Arden St Oval being used for Hurling on Sundays.
Supporters of other teams would make fun of the North team by suggesting those playing on Saturday were actually the Shinboners (hurling) players arrived one day early; such was their incompetence, and willingness to fight, rather than play. Like the Swans, the club took this sleight as a positive and adopted it as their own name.
Many years later with Shinbonbers as their unofficial nickname, butchers in Errol St and at the local Meat Market would hang shin bones in their window on Friday as a show of support for the local team.

 

[Mero]

What the Dockers might have been

These were all registered by the AFL with IP Australia before going with Fremantle Dockers.

Carn the Hammer. ???

 

[Engimal]

Official North historian Father Gerard Dowling believes the Shinboners name comes from Arden St Oval being used for Hurling on Sundays.
Supporters of other teams would make fun of the North team by suggesting those playing on Saturday were actually the Shinboners (hurling) players arrived one day early; such was their incompetence, and willingness to fight, rather than play. Like the Swans, the club took this sleight as a positive and adopted it as their own name.
Many years later with Shinbonbers as their unofficial nickname, butchers in Errol St and at the local Meat Market would hang shin bones in their window on Friday as a show of support for the local team.

Am I missing something? How does the hurling team relate to Shinboners?

 

[Mero]

Am I missing something? How does the hurling team relate to Shinboners?

They smack each other in the shins with hurling sticks

 

[royals1922]

Yeah, I can't find anything prior to 35 about it. In 1935, Cairo Dixon won the award for 'Best Shinboner'. Wally Carter won the Syd Barker medal that year so it appears that, in 1935, the idea of the Shinboner that we now in the 'Shinboner spirit' was established at that point.

Just to clarify, as I tend to get a bit picky about these things.

In an article in the Williamstown Chronicle, Cairo Dixon is listed is as getting the Rich Romsey trophy in a home and away game for best shinboner.

That reference is a typo. The trophy he was awarded was the Rich Homsey award ( see Argus 12 June 1934 at page 12) which states that a benefactor and vice president of the club, Rich Homsey not only gave away trophies for the NM old boys best and fairest players but an award every week to the best NM player in every home and away game. It was this trophy Dixon won ( see Williamstown Chronicle of 12 June 1935 at page 5). And the Argus never use the word "shinboner" for the award.

This was an article by a writer called Bob Jamieson who ascribes the name "shinboners" to NM.

It is Jamieson who also refers to NM again as the shinboners again in 1936 in the Williamstown Chronicle of 7 March 1936 at page 2 in reference to Neville Huggins.

In fact ,on Trove at least, the only reference to "shinboners" ever is made by Bob Jamieson in the Williamstown chronicle.

So who was Bob Jamieson?

The answer in part is found in the Williamstown Chronicle of 25 November 1933 at page 8 who was press correspondent of WFC.

Now I do have a supposition based upon the above. a player called Jamieson did play for WFC in the 1920s before NM went to the VFL. If related, and if NM were reputed as a dirty side, then Jamieson would be only continuing a rivalry, one that NM picked up some years later.

After roughly 1940 , he does nor report much.....

 

[Engimal]

Just to clarify, as I tend to get a bit picky about these things.

In an article in the Williamstown Chronicle, Cairo Dixon is listed is as getting the Rich Romsey trophy in a home and away game for best shinboner.

That reference is a typo. The trophy he was awarded was the Rich Homsey award ( see Argus 12 June 1934 at page 12) which states that a benefactor and vice president of the club, Rich Homsey not only gave away trophies for the NM old boys best and fairest players but an award every week to the best NM player in every home and away game. It was this trophy Dixon won ( see Williamstown Chronicle of 12 June 1935 at page 5). And the Argus never use the word "shinboner" for the award.

This was an article by a writer called Bob Jamieson who ascribes the name "shinboners" to NM.

It is Jamieson who also refers to NM again as the shinboners again in 1936 in the Williamstown Chronicle of 7 March 1936 at page 2 in reference to Neville Huggins.

In fact ,on Trove at least, the only reference to "shinboners" ever is made by Bob Jamieson in the Williamstown chronicle.

So who was Bob Jamieson?

The answer in part is found in the Williamstown Chronicle of 25 November 1933 at page 8 who was press correspondent of WFC.

Now I do have a supposition based upon the above. a player called Jamieson did play for WFC in the 1920s before NM went to the VFL. If related, and if NM were reputed as a dirty side, then Jamieson would be only continuing a rivalry, one that NM picked up some years later.

After roughly 1940 , he does nor report much.....

You've really studied up, huh?

 

[Michael Riley]

I know I am off topic but Cairo Dixon (http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/tiki-index.php?page=Cairo+Dixon) is quite a character.

 

[Stewies Power]

Just thought I'd post this for the lols.

 

[Engimal]

Just thought I'd post this for the lols.

Haha, oh God. The Swans one was the only one that wasn't completely embarrassing.

 

[FootyGeek]

Just thought I'd post this for the lols.

That is brilliant.

 

[benji2]

Just thought I'd post this for the lols.

I think they were only used for a year or two around 1988-89. Used to love them as a kid. Think I would rather these at the end of a game than Bruce's/BTs fapping.

 

[Stewies Power]

I think they were only used for a year or two around 1988-89. Used to love them as a kid. Think I would rather these at the end of a game than Bruce's/BTs fapping.

Yeah, must have been in 1990 as well as in the Eagles game the guernseys had the old AFL logo on them.

 

[MiloStedman]

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.

Suns chosen because of the weather on the Gold Coast.

 

[royals1922]

I think I've got another angle on the shinboner's name.

In 1933, and two years prior to the Williamstown articles referring to the Shinboners in 1935, there are articles in the popular press calling NM the "butchers".

In the Argus of 2 August 1933 at page 7, there is reference to the then manager of the Victorian team, JF Meere (?) saying that he was proud to be a representative of the NM team which only a little while ago was called the "butchers" ( and laughter followed).

The Referee of 15 June 1933 at page 13 says that St Kilda and other supporters were calling NM the "butchers" and then opined that a more fitting name was "the destroyers" and then pointedly said "we have a more fitting name for "the northeners" ( using the traditional name for NM and not the shinboners).The article then referred to NM's ruggedness and determination.

This all arose out of a particularly fractious match between St Kilda and NM in which complaints were made and threats were made to a NM player ( and baseball bats brought in) and the NM players were labelled butchers by St Kilda ( cf Argus 3 June 1933 at page 17).

The Saints ended with 15 men and actually struck a medal for valour( Barrier Miner at page 6 of 17 June 1933( and there's a photo of the medal). There's a good photo of the Medal in the Adelaide New s of 13 June 1933 at page 3.

Incidentally there were no reports in the game.

A report of the game can be found in the Adelaide Advertiser of 29 May 1933 at page 19 where incidentally the Saints captain Hindson copped a broken ankle.

There is no reference to NM being the shinboners in any of the press in that year which given the allegations made against NM in that game would
likely have occurred and the fact that the NM person actually laughed at the name "butchers" but did not refer to the name "shinbone" at any time suggests they did not take a step backward in regards to the game.

 

[Mero]

You mention there is no reference to North in 1933 as the Shinboners.
North's official history says they were known as the Shinboners in the late 1800s.
So while this news article might make sense@royals1922, I can't see how it relates to the Shinboners name when it took place 50 years after North believe they were called the Shinboners.
http://www.nmfc.com.au/club/history

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/club/history/timeline/1880s

Eventually, red was incorporated into the blue and white guernsey and Footscray became known as the ‘Tricolours’ throughout their VFA days and beyond. Footscray were also referred to as ‘Scray’, the ‘Saltwater lads’, ‘Bone-mill fellows’, ‘representatives of stoneopolis’ and the ‘men from the land of the boulders’.

Some ancient Footscray nicknames. Love these ones, shame they didn't last.

 

[royals1922]

You mention there is no reference to North in 1933 as the Shinboners.
North's official history says they were known as the Shinboners in the late 1800s.
So while this news article might make sense@royals1922, I can't see how it relates to the Shinboners name when it took place 50 years after North believe they were called the Shinboners.
http://www.nmfc.com.au/club/history

It doesn't. Much of all AFL history(well any history really) is the result of a supposed tradition that does not stand up to close analysis.

I have postulated another possible reason for the name "shinboners" elsewhere in one of these threads being that the name possibly arose out of a dispute in 1933 or thereabouts when NM played St Kilda and the Saints ended up with 15 men and accused NM of being "butchers". Prior to this time, NM were called if anything the gluepotters or the Northerners and 2 years after in 1935, the nickname pops up in popular press being sprouted by a specific Williamstown reporter from recollection by the name of Jamieson.This bloke Jamieson used the name Shinboners in reference to the NM football AND the NM cricket club in the 1930s in the williamstown newspapers.

There is a little bit more I can add, purely inferential. In 1940, a bloke named Jamieson, who was stated to be the son of a noted VFA player was trying out to be a player for NM. There was a Williamstown player named Jamieson who played in early VFA premiership sides for Williamstown in about the 1910s.

The name the shinboners really gets a run in the late 40s but before that is not used much apart from in the Williamstown newspaper from about 1936 onwards. The catalyst may have been that 1933 (from recollection) "bloodbath" game.

The bottom line, the lazy version of the history of the name, is the the reference to the abattoirs but it is the easiest version. I suspect that the use of that name had far more complicated origins.

 

[Michael Riley]

I think I've got another angle on the shinboner's name.
This all arose out of a particularly fractious match between St Kilda and NM in which complaints were made and threats were made to a NM player ( and baseball bats brought in) and the NM players were labelled butchers by St Kilda ( cf Argus 3 June 1933 at page 17).

The Saints ended with 15 men and actually struck a medal for valour( Barrier Miner at page 6 of 17 June 1933( and there's a photo of the medal). There's a good photo of the Medal in the Adelaide New s of 13 June 1933 at page 3.

I am enjoying this origin story. I can add my brief article on the 1933 game - But I don't discuss this issue.

Plug to self - 1933 - Round 5 St Kilda v North Melbourne - 15 men defeat 18