The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia, competing in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in 1987 and its mascot is based on the iconic Australian wedge-tailed eagle, with royal blue and gold representing the imagery of Western Australia’s land, sky and ocean.[1]
Design and History
The club’s current logo, introduced ahead of the 2018 season, features an updated eagle’s head design.[2] It was unveiled at a brand relaunch in Perth on 1 November 2017, alongside a new guernsey that reverted to the royal blue and gold colours associated with the club’s early days.[2] The change marked the first significant update to the logo in 17 years, with the previous version having been in use since 1999.[3]
The logo was developed after two years of consultation with sponsors, fans, players and staff, with 317 different options considered before the final design was settled on.[2] The redesign was prompted in part by feedback from the club’s Indigenous fans, who indicated it was important that the logo be a more life-like representation of an eagle, a revered totem in Aboriginal culture.[4] The eagle head on the chest was refreshed with a more simple two-tone design.[5]
This iteration is the fourth logo in the club’s history, which entered the AFL in 1987.[2] The 2017 relaunch came as the club prepared to move to the new Perth Stadium and its new training base at Lathlain Park, making it the perfect time for branding alterations.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The newest incarnation of the logo represents a closer connection to the Noongar totem Waalitj, the eagle, which stands for power and instinct, pride and respect, with the eagle’s head pointed towards “the prize” in the east.[7] The club’s chief executive Trevor Nisbett said the research was exhaustive, noting that Indigenous respondents wanted the logo to look more like an eagle to reflect its power and competitive instinct.[2]
The royal blue and gold colours were described by Nisbett as “the colours of the club”, noting that the club started with those colours and that returning to them was important for original members.[6] The blue-and-gold colours are the same as those worn in the club’s three premierships in 1992, 1994 and 2006.[6]
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