How about we go Black,
Logos - Black Porsche or a Big Bottle of Negrita Rum,
For the song - Paint it Black, Rolling Stones
Jumpers - Black
And can we get the recruiting rights to all Sudanese.
Seriously ...we have the best colours in the comp.

Bet Hackdorn gets another story out of all this ...

"Freo fans outraged at new CEOs review plan"

We're being manipulated by someone too lazy to go and actually do some research.

Nothing wrong with a review, for all those that are upset it doesn't mean everything (or even anything) will change.

Personally though I wouldn't mind a colour change, I get a bit sick of being called a poof due to the purple. Best option is green - which like purple is unique to the league (but WHY would they choose purple over green as the main colour anyway?)

The jumper wouldn't need to change a whole lot, in fact we could even go back to the original away strip (modernised a little). That was a good design.

I am sick to death of hearing about our brand being changed..for God's sake the only aspect of our club that needs reviewing is our on ground performance and in my opinion this is being addressed ..it's been evidenced by the emergence of some fantastic young talent . Please people ..ignore the knockers of our colours and song..there is nothing wrong with them..they're original and they're OURS .They've not been knocked off any other team ..rugby or otherwise ..so wear them and sing our song with pride!!!

OK, if we're having a review lets start at the basics, lets review the game we play.
Soccer is the world game, there is a lot more money in grid-iron and bsketball has a smaller list.

Can someone please give whoever is responsible a H U G E financial incentive to go and mess with someone elses life.

For those who think the review is harmless: what if (and of course I'm being deliberately preposterous here) the review found that there's a huge marketing opportunity for a hockey club in Hobart? All the growth indicators were strong, and so it was decided that Freo should relocate to the Apple Isle and become a hockey team: the Hobart High Flyers, with an iPhone as a logo on the back of a big sponsorship deal with Apple Mac.

That of course would be a very unlikely outcome of our review. So unlikely as to be ludicrous. But the point is that the logic of the review would not preclude it.

Are you still happy with the review? Because, much more conceivably, the outcome of the review could result in replacing purple with another colour, replacing the anchor with another symbol, replacing the club song with another jingle...and replacing Jeff Farmer with Ben Cousins.

Harmless...or potentially soul destroying?

Or, in the words of a very effective branding campaign: which bank?

You've got about 4 of 'em to choose from.

Whilst I'm not especially keen on corporate speak such as 'brand values', an interesting aside is the history of the jumper itself. Not sure about you, but my favourite jumpers are the while with purple anchor away strip (wearing it right now....) and the Red & White heritage jumper. Now, from memory, these came in in 2004 and 2003 respectively, and were presumably the result of some kind of review. In terms of away jumpers, the white/purple is much better than any predecessor (except for possibly the original mostly green one??), and judging by the number of people wearing it to games plenty agree with me. My point is that a review of things to determine whether or not they are working is not in itself a bad thing - and unless we think that the club was created already perfect (and plenty don't), then the possibility of change will always be with us. Even Vicco clubs must have gone through change - I can't imagine that Essendon have always been the bombers, given they were formed before the invention of aircraft! And besides, Rosich on PR tonite (not a regualr listener, just on in background while bathing with 18 mnth grommet) seemed to suggest that the likelihood of change is low; and while many may take his words with a grain of salt, we should apply that same principle to the musings of Hagdorn.

Those are all good and sensible points, Jaz, and certainly I'm not opposed to modernity and progress. Personally, I'm a big fan of our current 'away' jumper and, as you say, that jumper seems to have been embraced by many of our supporters, especially among the kids. (Number 33 is pretty popular with the fans as well, especially among the kids, but I'll just put that aside for now.)

My problem has to do with the 'thinking' of club administrators (i.e. career-minded suits, who'd leave for a better job tomorrow) in a corporate football environment, who'll put absolutely anything and everything up for 'review' solely on the grounds of its 'marketability'. There's a point at which the logic of such thinking risks turning our identity, whatever our identity might happen to be, into something else, at the whim of a current administration.

I don't barrack for a club administration. I barrack for something else. And whatever that something else might be, it's invested in symbols. I'm not barracking for a church here; so I'm not obliged to obey papal or other 'divine' decrees. I'm not obliged to accept the marketeering motives and decisions of today's current administration. I'm happy to accept that the club's finances can be improved by 're-strategising' its profile in the 'marketplace', but I'm not happy to think that the club's symbols are negotiable.

Without symbols (including the symbol of tradition), what's a football club?

It's a long time ago that I spoke to Ken Walther about the Docker's song and the criticism it receives. At that time the critics were complaining about its "Dirge" like qualities. I think Ken's comment was that critics were focusing on the wrong part of the song (and it may be relevant that budgie supporters think songs are only 4 lines in total) and that he wanted more focus on the subsequent verses. I do wonder if the song wouldn't have been more popular if the players had sung

We’re the rollers
We’re the rockers
We’re the mighty Freo Dockers!
We’re gonna roll ‘em and we’ll rock ‘em
We’re gonna send ‘em to the bottom
And if they get up, we’ll do again
The Dockers stop at nothing – nothing

Freo, way to go!
Hit ‘em real hard, send ‘em down below
Oh Freo, give ‘em the old heave ho
We are the Freo Dockers!

rather than the bit they currently sing

This season, I do wonder if the song wouldn't have been more popular if the players had sung

Well, there's the issue, isn't it. Still...



rest assured, somewhere deep in a stadium of some sort, Docker Dave would have.

Well boy oh boy, that certainly is a relief. I'm glad I'll be able to get some sleep now.

(Shane, where are those smileys you promised?)

I promised nothing.

Are you categorically saying that isn't open to review, shane?

It's not even open to review about whether or not there will be a review.

So - if I put my Haggers hat on for a moment - there's still a chance..?

So it's a zephyr in a thimble?

You've all encouraged Haggers now.

You've only yourselves to blame.

Tragic: that's a great point about the song. Right on - this should really be taken on board.

There was a mention of purple a few posts back and that some fella was a bit embarrased about the colour, that it was 'gay'. My friend, we are a modern club: we embrace women, men, children, families and Freo fans of any sexual orientation. The purple is mighty, inclusive and central to our 'culture'.

Purple relates to being sexually frustrated so it sits quite comfortably with me.