
Our collection
Essendon Football Club Hall of Fame
A collection of over 10,000 objects relating to the history of the Essendon Football Club from 1873 to the present day.
Themes: Building community life, Shaping cultural and creative life
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A collection of over 10,000 objects relating to the history of the Essendon Football Club from 1873 to the present day.
Themes: Building community life, Shaping cultural and creative life
Lace-up 'jumpers' or jerkins were widely worn until the early years of the 20th century when they were repalced by woollen jumpers. They made a comeback in the early 1970s among some players who preferred them because they were harder for opposition players to grip than conventional woollen jumpers. This one was worn by Roger Merrett in the 1984 premiership win over Hawthorn. Lace-up jerkins were banned by the VFL in 1986 after Melbourne player Robbie Flower injured a finger in the lacing of an opponent's jerkin
Lace-up cotton jerkin
VFL and Nubrik embroidered badges on front, white cotton "25" on back of jerkin
Premiership cap presented to Hercules "Hec" Vollugi after Essendon won the 1901 premiership. Premiership caps were presented by both the VFA and the VFL until about 1924. The caps were traditionally made of navy silk. This one has had Essendon's colours embroidered on the peak in the shape of a shield. Vollugi was a fine wingman who played 70 games for Essendon from 1901 to 1906.
Navy blue grosgrain silk cap with small peak; cap is divided into six segments separated by cream silk braid with navy button on top; embroidered badge in metallic and silk gold thread at front of cap; badge consists of monogram of interwined V F L with "Premiers" in a scroll beneath and "1901" beneath that; shield embroidered in red and black longstitch on peak. Cap is lined with "H. A. Vollugi 1901" handwritten in ink in centre.
"H. A. Vollugi 1901" is handwritten in ink on the inside of the cap
Essendon celebrated 1972 as its centenary year although the exact date of the club's founding is not certain. It played its first recorded game against a Carlton second twenty on 7 June 1873 (and won).
Folded cardboard Essendon Football Club membership ticket; ticket has black and red border with Essendon logo at top with "100 years" in gold box between flags, "Essendon / Football Club / Centenary / 1972" in black and red print with "Essendon" and "Centenary" in a stylised scroll; "Suaviter in modo, fortitier in re" in small black print at bottom. Inside has details of Club and office bearers and Essendon's fixture for 1972.
Victorian Collections acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.