Official Team Names

AFL
1

Why are some teams on the official AFL ladder called their name, while other teams are called their name plus moniker?

To me it is too inconsistent

Fremantle
Melbourne
Hawthorn
etc all good

Not
Sydney Swans
Geelong Cats
Adelaide Crows
No good

West Coast Eagles the stupidest name going btw

2

Well there was one other option,but that’s OUR’S!

3

Good question. My guess is that it might have something to do with marketing and corporate branding of each club. For example, Geelong changed their trading name from Geelong Football Club to Geelong Cats in the mid 2000s. It is rumoured that they wanted to ensure no negative comparisons with the Global Financial Crisis of the time (also GFC)

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4

Its up to the Clubs to nominate what their “Official” Marketing Tag is for Fixturing Etc…

For example when South Melb moved up to Sydney in their first couple of season they were known as simply the Swans on Tables etc .. they didnt add Sydney for a few years…as it would thought adding it would cut them off totally from the Melbourne supporter base.

Footscray became the Western Bulldogs and the others have at their request added or removed certain names for broader marketing etc..

West Coast , yep thats a weird one, sorta made sense when no other team here, gives entire state coverage, should have been Perth in the same way Adelaide did it.

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5

Can understand the clubs who’s name isn’t actually a place like West Coast or Western Bulldogs but you’re right about Sydney Swans should just be Sydney and Geelong Cats just be Geelong and Adelaide Crows just Adelaide, Brisbane Lions simply Brisbane, Gold Coast Suns just Gold Coast will do everyone knows where Gold Coast is. It has it’s own airport FFS.

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6

You too often hear Gold Coast Suns

7

Also depends on what the clubs business name and trading name are registered as:

Club Trading and Corporate Names

  • Adelaide: Adelaide Football Club Limited

  • Brisbane Lions: Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club Limited (Trading as Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club)

  • Carlton: Carlton Football Club Limited

  • Collingwood: Collingwood Football Club Limited

  • Essendon: Essendon Football Club Limited

  • Fremantle: Fremantle Football Club Limited

  • Geelong: Geelong Football Club Limited

  • Gold Coast: Gold Coast Football Club Limited

  • Greater Western Sydney: Western Sydney Football Club Ltd (Trading as GWS Giants)

  • Hawthorn: Hawthorn Football Club Limited

  • Melbourne: Melbourne Football Club Limited

  • North Melbourne: North Melbourne Football Club Ltd

  • Port Adelaide: Port Adelaide Football Club Ltd

  • Richmond: Richmond Football Club Limited

  • St Kilda: St Kilda Football Club Ltd

  • Sydney: Sydney Swans Limited

  • West Coast Eagles: Indian Pacific Limited (Trading as West Coast Eagles Football Club)

  • Western Bulldogs: Footscray Football Club Limited (Trading as Western Bulldogs)

Also helps differentiate between teams from the different codes competing is a saturated market particularly in the non-traditional football states

Sydney Swans - Sydney Roosters - Sydney FC

Brisbane Lions - Brisbane Broncos - Brisbane Roar

Gold Coast Suns - Gold Coast Titans - Gold Coast United (ex A League)

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