AFL Moniker Match Trivia Quiz

Melbourne Football Club was established in 1858. Their outfit was initially all white and they were known as the 'Invincible Whites'. In approximately 1870 they changed their colours to the red and blue. An official of the club, Larry Ball, came back from England in 1872 with red stockings (presumably the archaic word for socks) and the club then began to be called the 'Redlegs'.

They were also called the 'Fuchsias' after their red caps until Frank 'Checker' Hughes became coach in 1933 and reputedly said "You are playing like a lot of flowers! Lift up your heads and play like demons!"

The Brisbane Lions originated in 1996 when the Brisbane Bears, a Queensland club, absorbed Fitzroy, one of the league's foundation clubs from Melbourne. The Brisbane Bears were only established in 1987. It is presumed the team were aiming for some alliteration with a strong animal but as they were a Gold Coast team with a koala as their logo it was a tad confusing. Koalas are not bears and even if they were they wouldn't be much threat in a game of football.

Fitzroy was established in 1883 and were originally referred to as 'Roys' or 'Roy Boys'. Before WWII they started using the term 'Gorillas' in a nod towards their dark maroon colour but other teams and their supporters started referring to them as apes so in 1957 they became the Lions which was adopted by Brisbane after the merger.

North Melbourne originated in 1925, it was very briefly referred to as the 'Blue Birds' but was better known as the 'Shinboners'. There have been several theories to its origin but most people seem to agree it came from the local abattoirs where many of the players and their fans worked. 1n 1954 the club committee decided they needed something more Australian and something they could use as a mascot so they settled on the 'Kangaroos.'

The Adelaide Crows were the first South Australian team to join the AFL when the league began in 1990. The Victorian Football League (VFL) had begun in 1887 as mentioned above with the Melbourne teams. The other states had/still have their own leagues but after the VFL expanded in the 1980s to let other states into their league it was officially changed to the AFL in 1990.

Their name was an obvious choice as South Australian's nickname are 'Croweaters."

One of the 10 Victorian teams in the AFL, Geelong is the only one not based in Melbourne itself. It is a port city in Port Phillip Bay, about 65 km southwest of Melbourne. From its beginnings in 1859 they have been known as the 'Pivitonians', referring to the fact that Geelong was the centre or 'pivot' of primary and secondary industries.

This didn't change until 1923 when a black cat appeared on the field during a reserves match and turned a losing game into a win. A cartoonist at the Herald published a cartoon joking that a black cat might help Geelong win in their weekend game and after it did the fans began calling them the 'Cats' so the name became official in 1925.

When the VFL expansion teams began Western Australia created one team known as the West Coast Eagles from its WAFL league. Not long afterwards Fremantle began negotiations for a second WA team but due to licensing agreements they had to wait until 1993.

The team began its first season in 1995 and although the names 'sharks' and 'cobras' were considered it decided to stick with its roots and became the 'Dockers". Fremantle is a large port city and is long associated with wharfies and the docks.

Carlton, another Melbourne club, was formed in 1864 with a blue and grey uniform. Because of the blue dungaree jackets they were known as the 'butchers' for a time but when the captain added a dark blue cap in 1871 they were referred to as the 'blues'.

A uniform change to all blue with a touch of white in 1875 consolidated the name. Attempts were made over the years to actually have a team mascot - Bulldogs, Brewers and a cockatoo among them but none have stuck and they remain the 'Blues.'

The first New South Wales club actually began in Victoria as South Melbourne in 1874 where they had been known as the 'Southerners' and as the 'Bloods' due to their red and white colours. The Swan emblem was adopted in 1933 and there are two theories as to its origin. One is that their home ground was located next to Albert Park Lake and the other was that the amount of WA players in the club gave them the name - the black swan is the emblem of WA. Chances are it is a combination of both.

The club was also known as the "Foreign Legion' during this time because of the influx of interstate players. In 1982, it became the first professional Australian football club to permanently relocate interstate, moving from Victoria to New South Wales. In the following year, the club was renamed the Sydney Swans.

The Essendon Football Club began in 1872 and was mostly known as the 'Dons' just by shortening their name. Essendon played its home matches at Flemington Hill in the beginning but it moved to the East Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1881. Supporters would sing a song, written by a supporter, called "Same Old Essendon" referring to the fact that they may have moved but the team hadn't changed.

They were then referred to as the 'Same Olds' for many years. Before and during WWII the team moved to Essendon Recreation Reserve which was very close to the airport and they officially became known as the 'Bombers'.

The Gold Coast Club became the second Queensland team in the AFL when they were admitted in 2011. There was a long process involved in the team being admitted; they originally wanted to move a Victorian team north, like the move by South Melbourne to become the Sydney Swans, but opposition was too high so they had to create a new team. The team had to play a VFL year first in 2010 and then commenced in the AFL in 2011.

At a function during their first season, the nickname, team song and guernsey were all unveiled. Gold Coast voters had opted for the Sharks, Dolphins, Pirates, Marlins and Stingrays but were ignored by the marketing company. So far they have been referred to as the Suns, Sunnies and Coasters.