Richmond’s yellow and black guernsey is the most iconic and famous in the AFL…but that doesn’t mean the Tigers haven’t worn some unique uniforms in their 141-year history.
With the STEALTH SASH set to debut against Carlton on Saturday night, we reflect on some interesting designs from Richmond’s history.
(Images via footyjumpers.com and AFL Photos)
The Blues?
Believe it or not, the primary colour of the Tigers’ first ever guernsey wasn’t yellow or black…it was blue.
Worn from 1885-1886, Richmond’s dark blue uniform featured a slim yellow and black sash, with the Club to also wear blue pants from 1885-1906, and yet again from 1924-1928.
1885-1886
1924-1928
Yellow, black and...silver?
In 2005 and 2006, the Tigers started the year in striking fashion, wearing a silver guernsey for their pre-season matches.
Richmond embraced the silver even more in the 2006 edition, making the Tiger logo black and silver to match the rest of the kit.
2005
2006
The evolution of the home guernsey
While Richmond’s famous yellow sash was introduced in 1914 and has never disappeared since, the journey to get there was quite an adventure.
Club historian Rhett Bartlett explained the history of the Tigers’ home guernsey in a recent episode of Talking Tigers.
“Hilariously, in our first two seasons of the Club, we had a blue guernsey with a yellow and black sash,” Bartlett said.
“That changed in 1887 to yellow and black vertical stripes, which then changed to horizontal stripes in the 1890s, and that was when some of the press unofficially dubbed us the Wasps.
1887-1907
1895-1907
“We went back to vertical stripes in 1907…seems like we couldn't make up our mind!
1907
“In 1910, to improve the appearance of the team, the Club wrote in its minute book, we went to an all-black guernsey with one yellow horizontal band across the middle.
1910-1911
“It was in 1914 that we brought back the sash, a single yellow sash that ran across the right shoulder, not the left, for the first couple of years. The Punch newspaper said it was a decided improvement to our previous guernsey with the band. The Leader newspaper loved it…they called it a neat design”
1914-1918
The change of yellow and 2017 premiership
In 2017, Richmond and PUMA launched a “vibrant” new look for the Tigers, one still worn today.
The vibrant yellow would quickly catapult itself into the Richmond history books, as a guernsey clash in the Grand Final against Adelaide saw the Tigers wear their clash kit in the decider, against the Crows’ home jumper.
Of course, Richmond broke its 37-year premiership drought with a famous 48-point win, and the clash guernsey will forever hold a memorable place in Club folklore.
2017 Grand Final
Heritage Rounds
In the early-mid 2000s, the AFL staged the successful Heritage Rounds, with Clubs donning famous guernseys from their history.
In 2003, the Tigers went with black and yellow stripes, based on the 1908 guernsey, while in 2004 the Club wore a black jumper with a yellow chamois leading to a single yellow stripe down the middle, based on an old VFA design.
2003
2004
The claw
A favourite amongst collectors and Tiger fans alike, the claw mark guernsey would be worn from 1998-2003.
The slick and striking design is still seen at Richmond games today, with a cheersquad member having a flag of the claw design.
Centenary celebration
To celebrate 100 years of the Tigers in the VFL/AFL, Richmond wore a one-off guernsey against Carlton in 2008, bringing back the yellow and black stripes, with a Tiger logo in the middle.
2008
