Essendon logo change: Bombers respond to angst following rebrand push

Essendon coach Brad Scott has underlined the importance of one part of the Bombers’ brand. And club great Tim Watson has pointed out that not all supporters are fans of the logo.

Essendon coach Brad Scott in front of the Bomber logo.

Essendon coach Brad Scott has underlined the importance of the red sash to the Bombers’ fan base as the club considers a logo revamp.

The red sash or the letters EFC could replace the appearance of a Bomber jet in the club’s logo when it completes a research project on its outdated emblem.

The large amount of grey in the logo is also set to be significantly reduced, or cut out entirely.

Bombers’ champion Tim Watson said on Wednesday the Bomber plane and its links to the military did rankle some Essendon fans.

“I know some people who are mad, passionate Essendon fans who don’t like the association with Bombers (planes) and the connection to war. I know people like that,” Watson said on SEN.

Fans have vented their frustration at the prospect of changes to the logo and, in particular, the Bomber plane being replaced.

Scott weighed into the topic when asked about it at his weekly press conference on Wednesday, saying the club was eager to “better connect” with its fan base.

The senior coach said the club’s colours and the red sash were here to stay, along with the Bombers’ nickname.

Brad Scott Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“The piece of work that is being done at the moment is primarily just to engage with our main stakeholders, our members, our supporters, our sponsors, (to assess) what’s really important to them and what goes without saying is the red and black is really important to them,’ Scott said.

“The red sash is really important to them, those things aren’t changing. The whole process that’s being undertaken at the moment of which is in its preliminary stages is just connecting with our stakeholders and finding out what resonates with them.

“Quite often these things, a little bit of discussion happens and all of a sudden we’re changing everything - that’s not the case.

“We’re just simply engaging with our members to see what resonates with them as Essendon fans.”

Superstar captain Zach Merrett also highlighted the significance of the red sash as the club looked to move on from a “turbulent” decade.

The Bombers have not registered a finals win since 2004.

Merrett said a logo refresh would not bother him at all.

“In our gym we have all our heritage logos and we have a big line (starting with) our first captain - I think it was back in the 1870s maybe it was - and it runs all the way through to (Essendon’s previous captain) Dyson Heppell,” Merrett said on Fox Footy.

“I’ll have to add mine at some point.

“There is a sash on every player. We will obviously add (captains) Bonnie Toogood and Steph Kaine as AFLW players.

“That (sash) is certainly something we all connect with.”

Essendon coach Brad Scott in front of the Bomber logo.

The research project could take more than one year to complete as Essendon looks to revamp a logo which it has had since 1997.

It is one of the oldest logos in the competition.

Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd said he would be “very disappointed” if the Bomber plane was replaced.

“Have we got to that point that such a great logo, a tradition of the Essendon Football Club (might go) because it might upset the odd person or two that we would (potentially) lose something so special with our football club?” Lloyd said on Channel 9.