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Origin of Geelong Colours

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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?
And I always thought it was named Geelong for another reason., " Gee, long walk to Melbourne."
 
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?
What an amazing story. I never knew that!!
 
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
Exactly I am 3rd generation (at least) cats supports! Thanks granddad!
 

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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

Port maybe, but the other two are a prime example of what we're talking about - spin, pure and simple.
 
Port maybe, but the other two are a prime example of what we're talking about - spin, pure and simple.
Not really, Brisbane 'merged' (sort of) with a club formed in 1883 and Sydney is the same club formed in 1874.
 
Not really, Brisbane 'merged' (sort of) with a club formed in 1883 and Sydney is the same club formed in 1874.

OK, Sydney fair enough, but not Brisbane; there was not really a merger, an existing club absorbed some of the remnants of a failed entity.
 
Was wondering why Coburg were wearing red and black on the weekend when their nickname is the Tigers.

Dark navy and red?
They're the club colours.
Which is why they used to be called the Lions.:D
Until they linked up with Richmond and changed their name to the Tigers.
But next season, who knows.....
 
Was wondering why Coburg were wearing red and black on the weekend when their nickname is the Tigers.

Dark navy and red?
They're the club colours.
Which is why they used to be called the Lions.:D
Until they linked up with Richmond and changed their name to the Tigers.
But next season, who knows.....
Not that colours necessarily have to have any significance in the nickname of a club, though. Look at ours!
 
I always thought it was common knowledge that Geelong was derived from an Aboriginal term of local tribes in the region, and how our team went from the Pivotonians to the Cats.

To this day I constantly point out that "Half Cat" is indeed black bodied, and there is a reason for that.
Although up close I think the current incarnation of his suit might incorrectly be a very dark blue.
The 90s one (my favourite) was indeed black.
 
I always thought it was common knowledge that Geelong was derived from an Aboriginal term of local tribes in the region, and how our team went from the Pivotonians to the Cats.

To this day I constantly point out that "Half Cat" is indeed black bodied, and there is a reason for that.
Although up close I think the current incarnation of his suit might incorrectly be a very dark blue.
The 90s one (my favourite) was indeed black.
This Cat was black too:
Geelong-logo-1983.gif
 

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Sure was. :) This is THE ultimate G.F.C. logo. I like them all, but every time I see this, I feel pride. Was really glad that for our 2007 WEG poster, the genesis of it came from this logo, which IIRC he too designed?

Yep that's the logo on my trusty scarf... So tempted to get one of the fancy new soccer style ones but I keep telling myself just one more season...hahaha
 
Yep that's the logo on my trusty scarf... So tempted to get one of the fancy new soccer style ones but I keep telling myself just one more season...hahaha

For watching the 2007 GF at my friends GF BBQ afternoon, I pulled this scarf out of the closet for the first time in years. Wore it the whole day, went out into the streets of Geelong during the mayhem, and continued the night wearing it and partying it. Needed a bit of airing out afterwards, but then retired it.
While the logo had since changed to the GFC one many years back, I felt the scarf had finally seen what it needed, a premiership.

Then with the release of the two new logos, one commercial and for player on-field gear, I bought a bunch of new stuff for the new era. I tend to focus on merchandise that uses the player's logo, and any retro stuff using this logo.
 
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

So true catinthemachine, it's something money can't buy and unless you have it ppl don't realise what it really means, they might aspire to it, but the experience makes it so enriching. Telling my Dad (Melbourne supporter) about the game and how much I loved the Cats (and Sam Newman :oops: ), after my first Geelong game, I now remember him waxing lyrical about Geelong's rich heritage, saying what a 'fine' team they were and that Sam Newman was a Geelong Grammar man (which impressed me because Prince Charles went to Timbertop lol). Melbourne and Geelong being the oldest Clubs, with tradition and history was something we enjoyed. Plus we have the best strip in the AFL!
 
This Cat was black too:
Geelong-logo-1983.gif

I just got my 3 year old son his first Geelong jumper from an op-shop. It is an old-school woolen jumper in barely-worn condition with this logo on the front and a giant number 5 on the back (and we all know who the number 5 was sewn on for). It brought back a lot of memories of standing in the outer at KP in the 80's...

My only gripe is that it is in his size and not mine :-(
 

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I just got my 3 year old son his first Geelong jumper from an op-shop. It is an old-school woolen jumper in barely-worn condition with this logo on the front and a giant number 5 on the back (and we all know who the number 5 was sewn on for). It brought back a lot of memories of standing in the outer at KP in the 80's...

My only gripe is that it is in his size and not mine :-(

Gary Malarkey , top full back in the early 80's.
 
Gary Malarkey , top full back in the early 80's.

I'm well old enough to remember Gary Malarkey - I was first a GFC member in 1979 - but also remember the swarms of little kids with the number 5 on just this style of jumper in the mid to late 80's. Odds on it's a GAS jumper that's been sitting in a cupboard in Tassie for many a year before making its way down to the op shop.
 
H
I'm well old enough to remember Gary Malarkey - I was first a GFC member in 1979 - but also remember the swarms of little kids with the number 5 on just this style of jumper in the mid to late 80's. Odds on it's a GAS jumper that's been sitting in a cupboard in Tassie for many a year before making its way down to the op shop.

He was my favourite I remember my parents were looking at buying his house in Grovedale there were Wa state jumpers everywhere he was a great player kind of obvious that I turned up in cats jumper with number 5
 
According to what I've found, Geelong considered themselves Blue & White from 1872.
This was displayed with a White jumper, Blue caps, pants and socks.
As for the reason these colours were adopted, I don't really think it was ever recorded that they were symbolising
What we do know is that Tom Wills was captain of Geelong during this time.
But he was also widely regarded as a drunk.
The other thing we know is that the stories that surround Tom Wills' exploits far outweigh his actual life.
So much is attributed to him he has taken on the aura of a super hero when actually he was a good sportsman that liked the drink too much, and took his own life battling depression.
It is possible the colours were Blue and White to represent seagulls and water.
It is also likely Blue and White were the only colours available, and someone attributed those colours to a supposed meaning for the city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geelong would tell you Jillong means land or cliffs, so someone is wrong.
 
H

He was my favourite I remember my parents were looking at buying his house in Grovedale there were Wa state jumpers everywhere he was a great player kind of obvious that I turned up in cats jumper with number 5

Gavin Excell actually bought the house I grew up in in Leopold and lived in it while he was playing with the Cats. It's a small town.
 

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Origin of Geelong Colours

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