THE HISTORY OF REPRESENTATIVE / INTERSTATE FOOTBALL

WESTERN AUSTRALIA - UNIFORMS

THE TIMELINE
EVOLUTION OF THE JUMPER
SPONSOR PATCHES
THE TIMELINE

THE TIMELINE


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

Picture
1904
Picture
1908
Picture
1911
Picture
1914
Picture
1920-1923
Picture
1924-1926 (v.1)

​NOTE - due to photographic development techniques widely used prior to the mid-1930s, the appearance of these dark jumpers
with light trim was often inverted in newspaper photos. This creates the illusion that the early WA jumpers were gold with green trim. Click here to read more about this phenomenon.

Picture
1924-1926 (v.2)
Picture
1927-1932
Picture
1927-1932 alternate
Picture
1933
Picture
1933 vs VIC
Picture
1934

​NOTE - from 1904 to 1981 the official Western Australian uniform featured white shorts.

However, from 1927 to 1981 black shorts were worn in 39 of 47 games against Victoria plus a handful of games against other opponents (TAS 1927/56, SA 1928, NSW 1949, VFA 1958/65).

The black shorts gave a very different look to the WA uniform, and a full comparison of each version can be found here.
​
Picture
1935
Picture
1935 vs VIC
Picture
1936
Picture
1937
Picture
1937 vs VIC
Picture
1938
Picture
1939 vs VIC
Picture
1946
Picture
1947-1949
Picture
1948-1949 vs VIC
Picture
1950-1951
Picture
1950-1951 vs VIC
Picture
1952-1955
Picture
1952-1955 vs VIC
Picture
1956-1957
Picture
1956-1957 vs VIC
Picture
1958-1963
Picture
1958-1963 vs VIC
Picture
1962-1963 (sleeveless)
Picture
1962-1963 vs VIC
Picture
1964-1966
Picture
1965-1966 vs VIC
Picture
1967-1969
Picture
1968-1969 vs VIC
Picture
1970-1976
Picture
1971-1976 vs VIC
Picture
1977 (May/July) vs SA
Picture
1977 (June) vs VIC
Picture
1977 (Oct)-1978 vs VIC
Picture
1978 vs others
Picture
1979 vs VIC
Picture
1979 vs others
Picture
1980-1981 vs VIC
Picture
1980-1981 vs others
Picture
1982
Picture
1983-1984 new number font
Picture
1985
Picture
1986-1988 (March) Carnival
Picture
1988 (May) vs SA
Picture
1988 (July) vs VIC & VFA
Picture
1988 (Oct) vs SA (exhibition match)
Picture
1989
Picture
1990
Picture
1991
Picture
1992 (May 12) Rep. vs SANFL
Picture
1992 (May 26) Origin vs VIC
Picture
1993 (May) Rep. vs SANFL
Picture
1993 (June) Origin vs SA
Picture
1994 (March) WAFL vs NM (exhibition match)
Picture
1994 (June) Rep. vs SANFL
Picture
1995 (June) Origin vs Allies
Picture
1995 (July) Rep. vs QAFL
Picture
1996 (June 2) Origin vs SA
Picture
1996 (June 29) Rep. vs SANFL
Picture
1997 (June 20) WA vs Allies
Picture
1997 (June 21) WAFL vs TFL
Picture
1998 (July 11) WA vs SA
Picture
1998 (July 11) WAFL vs SANFL
Picture
1999 vs TFL
Picture
2000 vs SANFL
Picture
2002 vs QAFL / 2003 vs SANFL
Picture
2004 vs VFL / 2005 vs QAFL
Picture
2006 vs SANFL
Picture
2007 vs VFL
Picture
2008 vs QAFL / 2009 vs SANFL
Picture
2010 vs VFL
Picture
2011 vs NEAFL North
Picture
2012 vs SANFL
Picture
2013 vs VFL
Picture
2014 vs NEAFL
Picture
2015 vs SANFL / 2016 vs TSL
Picture
2017 vs VFL
Picture
2018 vs SANFL
Picture
2019 vs SANFL
EVOLUTION OF THE JUMPER
The inaugural Western Australian State jumper in 1904 featured a black swan, a symbol synonymous with the state as far back as its first Colonial flag in the 1800s. In well-over a century of representative football since, there have been just twelve seasons when the Western Australians took the field without a swan on their jumper.

Ironically, that 1977 to 1988 State of Origin era marked the most successful period in the State's history, beginning with a 94-point humbling of Victoria in October, 1977 and culminating with national titles in 1979, 1983, 1984 and 1986.
Various designs have come and gone including green jumpers (1904-34) and black jumpers (1958-63 / 1994-99) but the classic Western Australian gold jumper with a black swan - first introduced in 1935 - is still worn proudly today.
SPONSOR PATCHES

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN STATE UNIFORMS HISTORY

Click on the tabs below to discover the story behind each design...
Written and researched by David Eastman
Artwork by Rob Meredith
First published 19/9/2017
Last updated 19/4/2020