With the Hawks Museum virtually closed for two years, we took the opportunity to review the club collection.
It is somewhat frustrating to find that some the key goals we set in 1990 are yet to be resolved one being the guernsey collection.
We still seek a guernsey from 1925, the club’s first season in the VFL as seen in the photo of Jack Ryan.
We have never received any clues whether one even exists.
Known as the Mayblooms guernsey, the design remained virtually the same from 1925 till 1943, when we became known as the Hawks.
This design continued to 1949 when the club adopted the vertical stripes in 1950. The earliest guernseys in the club collection date from 1949, one worn by Ted Fletcher and the other by Albert ‘Butch’ Prior.
The 1925 guernsey had the initials ‘HFC’ on the left breast until circa 1930 when it was removed, although photos from the mid-1930s occasionally feature the odd player still wearing the 1925-style guernsey.
In 1933 the club made a significant change to the guernsey design, reversing the colours to gold with a brown ‘V’.
When wearing this guernsey the team became known as either the Mustard Pots or the Canaries.
As can be seen in the 1933 team photo the guernsey was considered far too leery formany, the guernsey was reversed to the brown with a gold ‘V’ in 1934.
One would consider the 1933 guernsey to be extremely rare if, in fact, any have survived.
Guernseys from the club’s foundation year in 1902, when the club played in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association till 1913, and then in the VFA 1914 - 1924 would be wonderful additions to the Club collection if one ever surfaced.
The impressive photo from 1923 of the club’s famous centerline from the VFA days feature Jim McCashney, Fred Finch and Jack Gill standing ready to take all before them.
The museum had reproduction guernseys made, covering the years from 1902 through to 1933 which can be seen on display in the chronology of the club’s guernsey.
One guernsey that the museum would like to know if it still exists is the one worn by Brendan Edwards (refer to photo) in the exhibition game of Australian Rules Football held during the 1956 Olympic Games at the MCG.
Edwards who would later be named BOG in the Club’s first premiership in 1961 was a member of the combined VFA / VFL team who were defeated by a team drawn from the Victorian Amateur Football League, 12.9.81 to 8.7.55. The VFA / VFL guernsey was emerald-green with a white collar and cuffs with the coloured Olympic rings across the chest.
The museum is on the lookout for a number 29 guernsey worn by Will Langford (2013-2017) for a planned tribute of the two father and son combinations who played in a premiership.
Peter Hudson (1971) and son Paul (1991), Chris Langford (1986, 1988, 1989, 1991) with his son, Will (2014).
If anyone can assist with our search for any of the above mentioned guernseys please contact the Hawks Museum at hawksmuseum@hawthornfc.com.au.
