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THE HISTORY OF REPRESENTATIVE / INTERSTATE FOOTBALL

SOUTH AUSTRALIA - UNIFORMS

THE TIMELINE
EVOLUTION OF THE JUMPER
SPONSOR PATCHES
THE TIMELINE

THE TIMELINE


(click on any image to see a full-sized version)

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1879-1880
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1890
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1891-1894
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1899-1907 (June) V.1
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1899-1907 (June) V.2
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1905 (June vs VFA) numbers trialled
NOTE: the 1881 uniform is not shown above - the South Australian team wore red, white and yellow but the actual design remains unknown

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1907 (July-Aug.)
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1908 (June)
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1908 (Carnival)
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1909-1914
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1911 (numbers added)
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1913 (new numbers)

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1919 (July)
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1919 (Aug)-1920
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1921
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1922
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1923 (June)
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1923 (July)-1924

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1925-1926
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1927-1929
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1928 (July vs WA)
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1930
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1931
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1932

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1933-1934 (June)
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1934 (July vs WA)
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1935
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1936 (July vs WA) (V.1) blue numbers
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1936 (Aug)-1941 (V.2) gold numbers
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1936 (Aug)-1941 (V.3) long-sleeved

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1944
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1945
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1946
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1947-1955 (V.1) long-sleeved
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1947-1952 (V.2) sleeveless blue
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1953-1955 (V.3) sleeveless red

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1956-1957
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1958-1960
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1961-1969
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1970-1976
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1977
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1978

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1979
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1980
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1981-1985
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1986
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1987-1989
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1990-1992

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1993 - Origin
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1993 - SANFL Rep.
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1994 - Origin
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1994 - SANFL Rep.
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1995 - Origin
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1995 - SANFL Rep.

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1996 - Origin
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1996 - SANFL Rep.
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1997 - Origin
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1997 - SANFL Rep.
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1998 - Origin
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1998 - SANFL Rep.

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1999 - Origin
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1999 - SANFL Rep.
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2000
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2001-2003
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2005
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2006

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2008
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2009
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2012-2013
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2014
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2015
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2016

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2018
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2019
EVOLUTION OF THE JUMPER
Trial and error sums up South Australia's long road to the classic double V design that we associate with them today. 

Their first design to be worn consistently was a black and white striped jacket (first worn 9 months before Collingwood FC was formed and adopted a similar uniform). In 1907-08 the SAFA led a push for a uniform set of colours to be adopted by South Australian representative teams. This resulted in a number of chocolate brown and turquoise blue uniforms over the next twenty years.

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A second push by the SANFL in 1929-30 for uniform State colours was far more successful and resulted in all South Australian sporting bodies adopting red, navy blue and gold. However, the SANFL could not find the right design to make these colours work, wearing six different designs in seven seasons during the 1930s. 

It wasn't until 1936 that the first double V was worn and after much searching, the South Australians had finally found a style to build from.
SPONSOR PATCHES

SOUTH AUSTRALIA - LEAGUE / STATE LOGOS

The first league logo was added to the State jumper for the 1958 National Carnival and remained unchanged until 1977 when a special patch was worn to mark the SANFL's 100th anniversary.

​A short-lived SANFL logo was used in 1978-79 before the classic SANFL logo was introduced in 1980. This logo has undergone some minor tweaks over the years and remains in use today.
​
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SOUTH AUSTRALIA - SPONSOR PATCHES

1986 was the 150th anniversary of the formation of the colony/state of South Australia and a special patch was worn to mark this occasion.
​
In 1990 the SANFL finally broke with tradition and wore a sponsor patch on the State jumper for the first time. West End were the first, and to date, only company to sponsor the South Australian team. The longevity of this deal is only rivalled in Australian football by Geelong FC's long-running jumper sponsorship deal with Ford which has remained in place since 1977.

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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE UNIFORMS HISTORY

Click on the tabs to discover the story behind each design...
1879-1907
1908-1929
1930-1945
1946-1978
1979-1999
2000-pres.

Written and researched by David Eastman
Artwork by Rob Meredith
First published 26/3/2017
Last updated 18/04/2020

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The author is a proud member of the Australian Football Heritage Group (AFHG), which is dedicated to preserving Australian football's history.

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© David Eastman 2013-2022. All rights reserved.
  • HOME
  • AFL
    • Gardiner Medal
    • Grand Final Sprint
    • Interclub Medals & Trophies
    • Night Series & Pre-Season Cup
  • VFA / VFL
    • AWARDS / MEDAL WINNERS >
      • J.J. Liston Trophy (Best & Fairest)
      • Frosty Miller Medal (Leading Goalkicker)
      • Norm Goss Medal (Grand Final B.O.G.)
      • Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal
      • Frank Johnson Medal (Rep. B.O.G.)
      • Seconds/Thirds
    • FINALS >
      • Grand Finals
      • Grand Finals - A History
      • Premiership Captains/Coaches
      • Premiership Tables
      • Finals Records
      • Minor Premiers... no GF
      • Grand Finals - Second Division
      • Challenge Finals
      • Drawn & Postponed Finals
      • Finals Systems
    • NON-PREMIERSHIP MATCHES >
      • Centenary Cup
      • Foxtel Cup
      • Lightning Premierships
      • NFL Night Series
      • Practice/Exhibition Matches
      • Pre-Season Cup
      • Premiers Cup (VSFL)
      • Promotion Playoffs
      • VFL-TFL Challenge
    • RECORDS
    • SECOND DIVISION
  • NON-PREM
    • NFL - 1976 WILLS CUP
    • NFL - 1977 ARDATH CUP
    • NFL - 1978 ESCORT CUP
    • NFL - 1979 ESCORT CUP
  • REPRESENTATIVE
    • STATE MATCHES >
      • 1870s
      • 1880s
      • 1890s
      • 1900s
      • 1910s
      • 1920s
      • 1930s
      • 1940s
      • 1950s
    • STATE UNIFORMS >
      • QLD Uniforms
      • SA Uniforms
      • WA Uniforms
    • VICTORIA >
      • VIC Matches
      • VIC Uniforms
    • VFA-VFL COMBINE >
      • VFA Rep. Awards
      • VFA Rep. Captains-Coaches
      • VFA Rep Matches
      • VFA Rep. Records
      • VFA Rep. Uniforms
  • DISCOVERIES
    • UNEARTHING
    • MYTHBUSTING
    • IN THE NEWS
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  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT