Origin of Geelong Colours

[SpareTowel]

According to this article, "[Tom Wills] also deserves the credit for the Geelong blue and white colours. He had always had an interest in Aboriginal culture and the various words and meanings. He learned that Geelong took its name from the Aboriginal word Jillerlong, meaning white birds coming out of the sea water. So the colours were to be blue for the water and white for the seagulls and in the early days, the club was known as the Seagulls."

Great story. I know they were nicknamed the Seagulls, but didn't know Wills was responsible for the colours. Is there any evidence for this?

 

[manboob]

Sounds good, Geelong being a waterside city and all I just assumed it has something to do with the whole stripped sailer/marin/marinero shirt which seems pretty common around the world. Here in spain I just point at the screen and say my team is los marineros and people are like "ok cool".

 

[SJ]

This is a topic where Mero is the most knowledgeable person on the planet.

I'm not sure how true it is that "the colours were to be blue for the water and white for the seagulls and in the early days, the club was known as the Seagulls", because Mero will tell us that initially all clubs wore a combination of navy or white (as it was the only colour that worked permanently in the guernsey material). What changed was the cap and knickerbocker colour. It is true that Geelong initially wore navy and white from adoption, however a number of mainly red strips featured in the next twenty years. The hoops were adopted permanently from 1876 however Geelong were not even the first club to do so, with at least Geelong's fiercest rivals Barwon doing the same a month earlier. Apparently, as Geelong were holders of the Geelong, Ballarat and Western District Challenge Cup they forced Barwon to adopt a pink sash on top of their navy and white hoops.

Also, I'm not sure on this but I thought the Seagulls nickname might have come after the Pivotonians. Either way I doubt that the colours arose because of the nickname.

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

According to this article, "[Tom Wills] also deserves the credit for the Geelong blue and white colours. He had always had an interest in Aboriginal culture and the various words and meanings. He learned that Geelong took its name from the Aboriginal word Jillerlong, meaning white birds coming out of the sea water. So the colours were to be blue for the water and white for the seagulls and in the early days, the club was known as the Seagulls."

Great story. I know they were nicknamed the Seagulls, but didn't know Wills was responsible for the colours. Is there any evidence for this?

I know we were called the seagulls as I have a reserves premiership memento from 1937 as per the attached photo

My grandfather recalled the story haw the cats sacrificed a real magpie after we beat them they buried it under Corio Oval and my grandfather went back and we had it ever since

 

[manboob]

My grandfather recalled the story haw the cats sacrificed a real magpie after we beat them they buried it under Corio Oval and my grandfather went back and we had it ever since

Jesus

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Jesus

A couple of funny other stories to he was captain coach for 10 years back to back reserve premiers

 

[Turbocat]

There you go , I though the Seagulls thing was not able to be used because of the Williamstown Seagulls in the VFA.

 

[winty]

There you go , I though the Seagulls thing was not able to be used because of the Williamstown Seagulls in the VFA.

That would make sense if there wasn't two teams with the nickname Tigers currently running around in the VFL (Werribee and Coburg).

 

[manboob]

A couple of funny other stories to he was captain coach for 10 years back to back reserve premiers

Make sure you get them all down one day!

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Make sure you get them all down one day!

He played South Melb one day and he got smashed by a opponent the ump asked if it was ok if he didnt report him as he had his wife's bday on Monday night and didn't want to attend the tribunal my grandfather agreed. Unfortunately my grandfather caught up with the aggressor in the last quarter and knocked him flat an surprisingly wasn't reported

Also one day he played full back in a overcoat how bizarre

 

[manboob]

He played South Melb one day and he got smashed by a opponent the ump asked if it was ok if he didnt report him as he had his wife's bday on Monday night and didn't want to attend the tribunal my grandfather agreed. Unfortunately my grandfather caught up with the aggressor in the last quarter and knocked him flat an surprisingly wasn't reported

Also one day he played full back in a overcoat how bizarre

Haha that's amazing!

 

[FredLeDeux]

He played South Melb one day and he got smashed by a opponent the ump asked if it was ok if he didnt report him as he had his wife's bday on Monday night and didn't want to attend the tribunal my grandfather agreed. Unfortunately my grandfather caught up with the aggressor in the last quarter and knocked him flat an surprisingly wasn't reported

Also one day he played full back in a overcoat how bizarre

I gave you a like for this, now you owe us all the full overcoat story!
Please!

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Played Fitzroy in the mid 30's there was 3 inches in the rain gauge before they left on the train they arrived and game was going to be called off.the two captains one which was my grandfather agreed to play only he played in a full length overcoat I'm sure he said there were 2 goals kicked for the game

 

[Turbocat]

That would make sense if there wasn't two teams with the nickname Tigers currently running around in the VFL (Werribee and Coburg).

Im sure i read it in "Road to Kardina" or something like that. Of course , just like with the local leagues , some of these clubs started in different divisions

 

[SJ]

There you go , I though the Seagulls thing was not able to be used because of the Williamstown Seagulls in the VFA.

From what I've read, 'the Black Cats' and then simply 'the Cats' quickly replaced 'the Seagulls' following the famous black cat cartoon, followed by a Geelong winning streak. This was a follow-up cartoon:

 

[CharacterFirst]

Rogers Results will know all this stuff, won't he?

 

[SJ]

Rogers Results will know all this stuff, won't he?

He'll know about the nicknames, and possibly the colours. Guarantee you Mero will know about the colours. He knows more about footy guernseys than the AFL itself!

 

[CharacterFirst]

He'll know about the nicknames, and possibly the colours. Guarantee you Mero will know about the colours. He knows more about footy guernseys than the AFL itself!

I am not sure I "know" Mero?

 

[Turbocat]

Lovely job SJ. Do you have "100 years of Aust Football 1897-1996" ? (Sorry don't have a scanner)

Pg112 , 1923..
Cartoon brings a Cat christening down at Geelong
It has a cartoon by Sam Wells and info as follows-
under the cartoon - A bit of whimsey by cartoonist Sam Wells but the Pivotonians are now not going anywhere without their black cats
Then-
July7
What is a Pivotonian?The name derives from the the city of Geelong being reguarded as the pivot or centre of trade but only people at Geelong seem to know or care.It seems that the clumsey nickname has a rival in "The Cats"
Occasionally the team is called "The Seagulls" because of the closeness of the Corio Oval to the sea. But the Association club of Williamstown got there first.
The idea seems to have stemmed from a Collingwood-Hawthorn Reserves match a month ago, in which the arrival of a black cat among the players at 3/4 time suddenly had them playing well and winning the game.
The Herald cartoonist Sam Well took up the idea , with a cartoon suggesting the a black cat might help Geelong against Carlton. It did. After loosing 5 of 7 matches , Geelong beat Carlton 13.15 (93) to 13.10 (98)*.
Now there are Cats replicas all around the club and "Carn the Pivots" is mingled with cries of Carn the Cats"

***** (( Error in the book as it adds up to 88))*****

 

[SJ]

I am not sure I "know" Mero?

Creater of http://footyjumpers.com/ and member on this site.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

Lovely job SJ. Do you have "100 years of Aust Football 1897-1996" ? (Sorry don't have a scanner)

Pg112 , 1923..
Cartoon brings a Cat christening down at Geelong
It has a cartoon by Sam Wells and info as follows-
under the cartoon - A bit of whimsey by cartoonist Sam Wells but the Pivotonians are now not going anywhere without their black cats
Then-
July7
What is a Pivotonian?The name derives from the the city of Geelong being reguarded as the pivot or centre of trade but only people at Geelong seem to know or care.It seems that the clumsey nickname has a rival in "The Cats"
Occasionally the team is called "The Seagulls" because of the closeness of the Corio Oval to the sea. But the Association club of Williamstown got there first.
The idea seems to have stemmed from a Collingwood-Hawthorn Reserves match a month ago, in which the arrival of a black cat among the players at 3/4 time suddenly had them playing well and winning the game.
The Herald cartoonist Sam Well took up the idea , with a cartoon suggesting the a black cat might help Geelong against Carlton. It did. After loosing 5 of 7 matches , Geelong beat Carlton 13.15 (93) to 13.10 (98)*.
Now there are Cats replicas all around the club and "Carn the Pivots" is mingled with cries of Carn the Cats"

***** (( Error in the book as it adds up to 88))*****

Always wondered how we became the Cats - this is great to know!

 

[Turbocat]

Always wondered how we became the Cats - this is great to know!

Its the sort of thing that happens in a real club. Events happen, history is recorded , heritage is created.
Not spin doctored up by Advertising guru's.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

Its the sort of thing that happens in a real club. Events happen, history is recorded , heritage is created.
Not spin doctored up by Advertising guru's.

I just love that a cat arrived at 3/4 time and we won, so they took the cat everywhere!

Wish there were pix of all the cat replicas!

No advert guru would create anything so original!

(A little poetic licence taking the cat everywhere lol)

 

[catinthemachine]

Its the sort of thing that happens in a real club. Events happen, history is recorded , heritage is created.
Not spin doctored up by Advertising guru's.

This depth of Heritage is part of what makes footy (and for me cricket) special
It's also what makes it so hard for GCS,GWS,Freo,Adelaide,WCE to get real depth,
They might have broad apeal, but the weight of history, support across generations, they are a way off that point
And no amount of spin can help

 

[catinthemachine]

Correct me if I'm wrong about WCE, Freo, and Adelaide
but I know
Port is a native south australian
The Lions took a rich story north with them, and some of their supporters
The Swans did the same