THE HISTORY OF REPRESENTATIVE / INTERSTATE FOOTBALL
VFA COMBINE - UNIFORMS
(1950-1969)
1950
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1950 National Carnival
After twelve years in the football wilderness the VFA joined the ANFC in 1949 as a non-voting member. This provided them access to interstate matches against the top-level leagues across Australia and a place in the National Carnival. It also marked the first time since 1896 that the VFA had official status as a Victorian interstate representative team.
The new colours
To recognise this return to the top flight, the Association sought a new representative uniform that reflected their role as Victoria's oldest senior football competition (having been formed twenty seasons before the VFL). They eventually settled on a version of Geelong's uniform:
"The Victorian Football Association, on its affiliation to the Australian National Football Council, has registered the old Geelong colours - blue and white hoops. The Association, in addition to retaining the traditional Victorian state colours of blue and white, has thus linked the Council with the foundation of the code. Geelong, which wears the blue and white hoops in the Victorian competition, is one of the two pioneer clubs of the code. It was formed in 1859, the season following the institution of the game by Mr H. C. A. Harrison and others, who established the Melbourne club." [Canberra Times 10-4-1950, p.2]
"The Victorian Football Association, on its affiliation to the Australian National Football Council, has registered the old Geelong colours - blue and white hoops. The Association, in addition to retaining the traditional Victorian state colours of blue and white, has thus linked the Council with the foundation of the code. Geelong, which wears the blue and white hoops in the Victorian competition, is one of the two pioneer clubs of the code. It was formed in 1859, the season following the institution of the game by Mr H. C. A. Harrison and others, who established the Melbourne club." [Canberra Times 10-4-1950, p.2]
Design notes
All but three of the players in the National Carnival team wore the borderless VFA shield patch shown above left. The other three players - presumably the captain, vice-captain and deputy vice-captain - wore a more detailed shield that featured a black and white border and had the letters V.F.A. intersecting to create a monogram (above right).
From the early-1900s to the mid-1970s teams Australia-wide had two colour choices for their shorts... black or white. The South Australian State team were the first side known to have worn a different colour when they switched to navy blue shorts in July 1923. The 1950 VFA representative team were the second to make the switch to navy blue (the VFL later followed in 1967 and 1973).
From the early-1900s to the mid-1970s teams Australia-wide had two colour choices for their shorts... black or white. The South Australian State team were the first side known to have worn a different colour when they switched to navy blue shorts in July 1923. The 1950 VFA representative team were the second to make the switch to navy blue (the VFL later followed in 1967 and 1973).
1951
1951 vs South Australia / Tasmania / Australian Amateurs
The same design as 1950, except all players now wore the more detailed VFA shield featuring the border and the monogram.
The number panel on the rear of the jumper was also marginally higher than in 1950.
The number panel on the rear of the jumper was also marginally higher than in 1950.
1953-1957
1953 National Carnival
1956 National Carnival
1957 vs Northern Tasmania / South Australia
The hoops were thinner on this jumper (5 full navy blue hoops and 5 full white hoops compared to 4 and 3 respectively on the 1950-51 design).
The VFA shield was the same design as 1951 but was reduced in size to maintain its perspective against the thinner hoops.
The VFA shield was the same design as 1951 but was reduced in size to maintain its perspective against the thinner hoops.
1958
1958 National Carnival
A return to the design previously worn in 1951.
1960 SECTION 2 NATIONAL CARNIVAL (Sydney)
The exact layout of the hoops on this uniform remains unknown at this time. Research is continuing and this information will be added as soon it is discovered.
Please contact me if you can provide any images of this uniform.
Please contact me if you can provide any images of this uniform.
1961
1961 vs Tasmania
The hoops were slightly thinner on this jumper (4 full navy blue hoops and 4 full white hoops compared to 4 and 3 respectively on the 1958 design).
The VFA shield was the same size as 1958 but was moved higher to ensure the top/bottom edges finished within the white hoops.
The VFA shield was the same size as 1958 but was moved higher to ensure the top/bottom edges finished within the white hoops.
1962/1964 vs TASMANIA
The exact layout of the hoops on these uniforms remains unknown at this time. Research is continuing and this information will be added as soon it is discovered.
Please contact me if you can provide any images of this uniform.
Please contact me if you can provide any images of this uniform.
1965
1965 vs Western Australia / Tasmania
A sleeveless version of the 1953-57 design, but with the VFA shield placed higher than on that jumper.
During the late 1950s/early 1960s the use of sleeveless jumpers became widespread at club level. Victoria and South Australia in 1961 were the first States to join this trend, closely followed by Western Australia in 1962. This 1965 design was the first sleeveless jumper produced for the VFA representative team and from this point onward long-sleeved jumpers were only issued on request.
1966/1968
1966
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1968
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1966 National Carnival
- a sleeveless version of the 1961 design (4 full navy blue hoops and 4 full white hoops).
- the VFA shield became smaller and appeared on a navy blue square for the first time.
- the other change was a move to white shorts as part of the official uniform (black shorts were still worn against the VFL in 1966).
- the VFA shield became smaller and appeared on a navy blue square for the first time.
- the other change was a move to white shorts as part of the official uniform (black shorts were still worn against the VFL in 1966).
1968 vs Canberra / Tasmania
Same hoop pattern as 1966 (4 full navy blue hoops and 4 full white hoops) but they were positioned differently on the jumper (this meant the shoulders were now navy blue instead of white).
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Written and researched by David Eastman
Artwork by Rob Meredith |
First published 4/2/2016
Last updated 17/11/2018 |
