The Collingwood Football Club, an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, has used a magpie as the central figure in its logo since the club’s founding in 1892. The club’s first logo, created that year, featured the magpie and the club’s founding year.[1] The current emblem, introduced for the 2018 season, retains the magpie as its focal point while incorporating elements drawn from the club’s history.
Design and History
The Collingwood logo has evolved considerably over more than 125 years, with the club’s official history documenting at least 16 distinct versions used since 1892.[2] Early logos were used on letterheads from the club’s earliest days through the late 1940s and early 1950s. A magpie sitting on a fencepost, which had appeared as far back as 1913 and on season tickets regularly since 1931, became the club’s official logo in annual reports from 1958.[2]
For more than 80 years, the club’s emblem featured a magpie looking back over its shoulder toward the left. A later version changed the magpie to face forward, looking to the right, and that version remains part of today’s logo.[3]
In 2004, the club introduced a shield-based logo that included the magpie, the founding year of 1892, and both the Australian flag and black and white flags.[4] For the club’s 125th anniversary in 2017, a commemorative emblem was used that featured two magpies, representing the club’s male and female teams standing side by side, as well as the old and the new.[5]
The current logo was unveiled in October 2017 for the 2018 season and beyond. It is similar to the previous emblem, featuring the same magpie and the founding year of 1892, but with a smaller shield and without the Australian and black and white flags that appeared in the earlier version.[4] The club described the new emblem as a nod to its history through iconic trademarks from the past while representing a club reimagining its future.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The magpie has been central to all Collingwood logos and leads boldly as it looks ahead in the current design.[1] The club’s nickname and emblem derive from its decision to wear black and white striped guernseys, which led to the team being referred to in the press as “the magpies” from day one. The link was further strengthened by the fact that magpies used to frequent the area where the club’s original home ground, Victoria Park, stood.[3]
The current emblem features the magpie flanked by a gold laurel drawn from the engravings on the club’s 15 premiership cups.[6] The iconic black and white stripes continue to represent what the club stands for and remain a steadfast symbol of the club.[1] The founding year of 1892 is incorporated as a reminder of the club’s beginnings.[1]
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