The return of the ‘traditional’ side-on lion to the Brisbane Lions’ official guernsey in 2014 is just the latest of a long line of guernsey changes throughout the Club’s combined history.

It is, however, the first time that the Lions have reverted back to a pre-existing version.

The recently launched 2014 design is based on the one worn by the newly merged Lions from 1997-2009, and featured in the Club’s historic hat-trick of premierships.

You could even argue that it has proven to be the Club’s most successful guernsey ever, having been worn in three consecutive senior premierships and eight finals campaigns throughout its 13-year existence.

The only other guernsey that you could argue has been engrained with such ‘greatness’ is the one worn by Fitzroy at the beginning of the VFL competition, which was a canvas lace-up style and reaped a total of four premierships (1898, 1899, 1904 and 1905).

It was eventually replaced in 1909 with a woollen jumper that featured the first ever traces of blue.

As Fitzroy’s identity changed from the ‘Maroons’ to the ‘Gorillas’ in the early parts of the 20th Century, so too did the jumper with a blue ‘V’ and blue yoke trialled at different times before settling on the famous ‘FFC’ monogram in 1942.

The iconic maroon guernsey with white ‘FFC’ monogram became synonymous as the one worn by Legend Kevin Murray throughout most of his 333-game career, and has resurfaced on a handful of occasions in the past decade as part of the Lions’ Heritage Round celebrations.

The introduction of colour TV saw Fitzroy’s jumper to change from being predominantly maroon and white, to red and gold. It would go on to become the second longest lasting guernsey in Club history (23 years) and Fitzroy’s last ever before the merge.

The Brisbane Bears, meanwhile, wore two distinct home guernseys throughout their 10-year existence – each for a period of five years.

Both the infamous ‘BB’ triangle guernsey and the gold ‘V’ jumper have also been worn by the modern-day Lions to acknowledge Heritage Round.

Interestingly, all but two of the 11 Club jumper designs have been worn in some form of premiership (including senior, reserves and pre-season).

Even the recent front-facing lion design, which never appeared in the AFL Finals in five years from 2010-2014, was worn in two NEAFL flags (2012, 2013) and the Club’s 2013 NAB Cup triumph.

View the Club's jumpers throughout history HERE