Vintage AFL Football Jumpers are a piece of living history . They are a knitted piece of nostalgia , reminding fans of  their first football jumper or their first footy game , played at their clubs old home ground , largely no longer in use .

Sure the newer , slicker models are ergonomically designed , and are rated as a superior product , but nothing beats the scratchy wool / acrylic feel , of the old model . The style of the jumper and the sponsors logos date it . They place it back in time , when footy was for saturday afternoon entertainment , and you could walk to your local ground , and buy a ticket at the gate . You stood if it was a big crowd , often atop the  slab of beer cans , that had been carried into the ground by your mates .

Vintage Football jumpers evoke a wave of nostalgia , and are still looking good . Generally they are smaller in size than the current models  but they are much bigger in reputation.

old style hawks

The modern day , AFL,  football jumper, is vastly different to its predecessor.

Old style Football Jumper

Its multi-coloured,  dri - fit , polyester , and is usually sleeveless, with a round neck , that has sponsors, team logos, and a number printed on it .

Contrast to the older style , wool or acrylic knitted football jumper , often with long sleeves , button up front , v neck or collar and logos and number sewn on .

Many supporters like the newer style of jumpers, jerseys , guernseys.

Many prefer the older style of jumper.

Personal preference between the two.

Perhaps fans like the traditional style jumper, which is soaked in relevant memories , whilst the new kid on the block is yet to build any.

New , modern , Football Jumper

Both AFL teams , Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions have changed their mascot .

The Crows have adopted a new style crow . It is a stylised version of a crow and doesn't resemble the actual bird as much as the old mascot .

Brisbane Lions famously have departed from the old Fitzroy FC Lion mascot. They now use a Lion facsimile with a face printed on the Lion that looks out .

It bears little resemblance to the original Fitzroy Football Club Lion . This has angered and saddened many fans of the now defunct AFL Fitzroy FC.

Fans are generally not consulted about the mascot change .

Most accept the change and acknowledge that it is modern progress and still follow their beloved club.

Lots of fans like the old mascots .

It reminds them of clubs with a grand playing past and helps them relive memories of another era .

A slick , modern re-working of an old mascot cannot always claim the hearts and minds of fans .

Old style Crows Mascot

Old style Lions Mascot

There are three styles of modern jumper , jersey , guernsey .

The sleeveless style which has no sleeves .

The long sleeve style which has long sleeves .

And the short sleeve style which has short sleeves.

Few players wear long sleeve jumpers in the modern game .

Memorable players who wore one in recent times were Matthew Lapin ,Carlton Blues player . Another famous wearer was James Hird , Essendon Bombers Captain.

Most modern players wear the sleeveless style.

This is in stark contrast to the old style players who mainly wore long sleeve woolly jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

The short sleeve style of jumper , jersey , guernsey is usually worn for training purposes.

Sleeveless , long sleeved , or short sleeved ?

A football jumper , jersey , guernsey is usually worn with pride whatever the style .
.

long sleeves

short sleeves

sleeveless

Old style football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys are sought by many.

Fans , players of AFL football and collectors everywhere want to wear them, buy them or keep them .

They are generally the woollen or wool mix , knitted , long sleeve variety with button up front or V neck .It often has a club name sewn on front and number sewn on back .The jumper may simply be a colour combination that dates it as belonging to a certain club or dating from a particular era.

The purchaser may be a parent who wants to dress their baby in the jumper they wore as a child or something similiar to it .

These older style jumpers are enjoying a renaissance in their twilight years as collectors world wide hanker for the old school team jumper they played in, or their teams old strip .

Amateur teams who want to get together for a friday night game after work all want to wear them .Kids at the game who play kick to kick after the match want them.

These jumpers were often plastered in unfashionable sponsors logos for tobacco companies and breweries. They can be dated from a period by the sponsors logo , its age , and whether the company still exists. Often the sponsors logo will add to the value of the jumper and make it more highly prized .

The old style jumpers , jerseys , guernseys are much sort after and collectors and fans alike will pay a high price to secure a much coveted item .Old Fitzroy Lions and South Melbourne or Footscray jumpers are in great demand.

A woolly jumper usually tells a story , has a history and can often evoke a fond memory from the most ardent fan. Today they can be enshrined under glass to preserve them .

It would appear that the old style footy jumper will only grow in popularity as time goes by .

They can become part of yours and AFL history. Get grandpa , Uncle Cyril or cousin Roy to get it out from under the bed or down from the attic and wear it with pride . You might be surprised with the comments it gets and the offers you are made !

vintage

like dad wore

Football Jumper , according to the Heinemann Australian Dictionary a jumper is " a garment , usually knitted , worn on the upper part of the body for warmth , etc."

Previously one of the functions of a football jumper was to keep a player warm.

In the modern era this is not its main role. It is used to market the Club ,the Colours, the Player and the Brand . .All are easily identifiable as belonging to a particular tribe and "keeping warm "is incidental .

Jumpers can be high fashion garments . Fans love to wear their Jumper.

Old style Jumpers are historical and collectable .Sentimentality and nostalgia dictate that the old style jumper will not die out .

Modern day Jumpers are streamlined , close fitting and generally made of a synthetic material designed to enhance the players performance.

Jumper , Jersey or Guernsey ? Wear yours to the Game this weekend.

modern

The AFL staged a staggered round of matches to accommodate the Easter holiday break .

In Round 3 of the  fixture the Saints , Bombers , Bulldogs , Cats , Lions , Power , Hawks and Crows all won their matches .

Collingwood , Carlton , Eagles , Tigers , Swans , Demons ,North  Melbourne  and the Dockers were all losers.

The Blues were beaten by only 4 points against a young determined Bombers side and the Cats, Saints and Bulldogs continued on their winning way with all three sides being undefeated at the close of play of round 3 .

St  Kilda are on top of the AFL ladder after defeating three interstate teams , the Swans, Crows and Eagles. They take on another interstate team in the Fremantle Dockers in round 4 at Etihad Stadium on saturday night the 18th of april.

an old style vintage football jumper with button up front