A new look Redland Bombers will take to the field this season with the club making a return to the heritage white and red playing strip worn from 1970 to 1983.
Redland CDM Phil Carse said the change will mark the first time since 2001 both the senior and junior clubs have sported the same strip.
“When we joined the AFLQ State League in 2002 Redland had to drop the Sharks name and jumper as the Southport Sharks were already playing in the league,” said Carse.
“With the Bombers residing at the Sharks sporting club, and the juniors having played under the Sharks banner for close to forty years the junior club was understandably reluctant to shift to the Bombers jumper. There was also a clash with the Yeronga juniors that made it an unviable option. “
As a result, the juniors remained in the old Sharks jumper, and for the past eleven years both clubs have played under a different name and strip.
Carse said that rather than invent a new jumper to unify the clubs, both committees found common ground in the choice of the heritage jumper.
The white and red strip saw the Redland seniors win their first ever premiership in 1975 against Sherwood running out victors 7.11 (53) to 6.7 (43).
The Bombers have worn the white and red as their clash strip for the last three years but will wear it full time in all home and away games from 2013.
Both clubs will keep their respective ‘Sharks’ and ‘Bombers’ names, but the jumper change is one step closer to reuniting the two sporting bodies.
Junior players will participate in clinics with their senior mentors at the Clubs’ Family Day on March 15 before presenting them with their new playing jumpers.
