History behind every AFL club theme song
EVER wondered how your club chose its theme song or where you’d heard the tune before? This is the place to find out.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IF you’ve ever wondered how your club song came to be or where you’d heard that tune before — this is the place to find out.
Here are the words and history behind every theme song in the AFL, from the 1980s bass riffs to 1870s operas.
Which team has the best song? Vote in our poll below
Adelaide Crows
Founded: 1990
Club song: ‘The pride of South Australia’
We’re the pride of South Australia
And we’re known as the Adelaide Crows
We’re courageous, stronger, faster
And respected by our foes
Admiration of the nation
Our determination shows
We’re the pride of South Australia
We’re the mighty Adelaide Crows
We give our best from coast to coast
Where the story will be told
As we fight the rugged battles
The flag will be our goal
Our skill and nerve will see us through
Our commitment ever grows
We’re the pride of South Australia
We’re the mighty Adelaide Crows
The pride of South Australia lyrics were written by Crows Inaugural CEO Bill Sanders, first used in 1991.
The theme is sung to the tune of The Marine’s Hymn, ‘From the Halls of Montezuma’, from the early 20th century.
The Marine’s Hymn was taken from the Jacques Offenbach opera Geneviève de Brabant, first performed in Paris in 1859.
The familiar tune is at about 40 seconds in.
Brisbane Lions
Founded: 1987 as the Brisbane Bears — they became the Brisbane Lions when they merged with Fitzroy in 1996.
Club song: originally — ‘We are the boys from old Fitzroy’
We are the pride of Brisbane town
We wear maroon, blue and gold
We will always fight for victory
Like Fitzroy and Bears of old
All for one, and one for all
We will answer to the call
Go Lions, Brisbane Lions
We’ll kick the winning score
You’ll hear our mighty roar!
Inaugural Lions Hall of Fame inductee Bill Stephen came up with the original Fitzroy version on an end-of-season football trip to Perth in 1952.
The team had been to see Casablanca and were particularly moved by the scene in the restaurant where the Nazis are silenced by the French, who overpower them by singing ‘La Marseillaise’.
Bill Stephen began with the line, ‘We are the boys from Fitzroy my lads,’ and other team mates offered up other lines to finish the song.
Initially, the French embassy in Melbourne complained about the use of their national anthem. The Brisbane Lions song retains the tune but not all of the words.
Carlton
Founded: 1864
Club song: ‘We are the navy blues’
We are the Navy Blues
We are the Old Dark Navy Blues
We’re the team that never lets you down
We’re the only team old Carlton knows
With all the champions
They like to send us
We’ll keep our end up
And they will know that they’ve been playing
Against the famous Old Dark Blues
The club used this theme from around 1929-1931 — the lyrics have been claimed to be written by multiple parties. It is generally accepted the lyrics were written by a relative of then Carlton coach Dan Minogue.
The tune is from the chorus of the British song ‘Lily of Laguna,’ originally a music hall song written in 1898 by English Composer Leslie Stuart.
Collingwood
Founded: 1892
Club song: ‘Good old Collingwood forever’
Good Old Collingwood forever,
They know how to play the game.
Side by side they stick together,
To uphold the Magpies name.
See, the barrackers are shouting,
As all barrackers should.
For the Premiership’s a cakewalk
For the good old Collingwood.
The oldest of the current songs, ‘Good Old Collingwood Forever’ comes from the tune of the 1898 Spanish-American War marching song, ‘Goodbye Dolly Gray,’ written by William D Cobb and Paul Barnes.
VIDEO: There are few sweeter sounds on this earth - https://t.co/3F7Yn8dIqF Sing along #gopies pic.twitter.com/4LByRiV0Xm
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) April 1, 2016
In 1906, Collingwood player Tom Nelson, who played only played three games for the club, took the music and made it the basis for the club theme song.
The penultimate line of the song (‘Oh, the Premiership’s a cakewalk’) was changed in 1983, to avoid embarrassment after a long period without Premiership success.
But when the alternate version (‘There is just one team we favour’) was met with little acceptance from fans and the club reverted to the original.
Note — A ‘cakewalk’ was a dance developed from an African American contest in graceful walking, where a cake was offered as a prize, in the late 19th century.
Essendon
Founded: 1872
Club song: ‘See the bombers fly up’
See the Bombers fly up, up!
To win the premiership flag.
Our boys who play this grand old game,
Are always striving for glory and fame!
See the Bombers fly up, up,
The other teams they don’t fear,
They all try their best,
But they can’t get near,
As the Bombers fly up!
The Bombers theme comes from the song ‘Keep your sunny side up’ from the film Sunny Side Up, a 1929 Fox musical with words by B.G. DeSylva & Lew Brown and music by Ray Henderson.
This is for everyone who has stood by us right through. #DonTheSash pic.twitter.com/UBOSncKFQF
— Essendon FC (@EssendonFC) April 2, 2016
Kevin Andrews wrote the lyrics to the club’s theme song in 1959. He had been boarding with an Essendon player, Jeff Gamble, at a time when the club was looking for a catchy tune. Gamble was humming the theme song for the television show ‘Sunnyside Up’ a weekly variety program produced at HSV-7 Melbourne, during the late 1950s and early 1960s. After hearing the tune Andrews sat down and wrote the words within around 30 minutes. He was given Essendon life membership in 2014 for coming up with the song.
Fremantle
Founded: 1994
Club song: ‘Freo way to go’
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
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
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 it 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
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
Prior to 2011 — the original song was a slow ballad, which was widely criticised by fans.
The original Freo song was based on the ‘Song of the Volga Boatmen’, a traditional Russian song sung by burlaks, or barge haulers, on the Volga River. Composer Igor Stravinsky made an arrangement of the song for orchestra in 1917.
After 16 years of a slow ballad, the Freo song was remixed in 2011 by the composer of the original, Ken Walther.
The song was changed to be shorter and more upbeat than the original, the ‘Volga Boatmen’ section was dropped, leaving only the part written by Walther.
Geelong
Founded: 1859
Club song: ‘We are Geelong’
We are Geelong, the greatest team of all
We are Geelong; we’re always on the ball
We play the game as it should be played
At home or far away
Our banners fly high, from dawn to dark
Down at Kardinia Park
So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition
Stand up and fight, it’s always our ambition
Throughout the game to fight with all our might
Because we’re the mighty blue and white
And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell
Stand up and fight like hell
The Geelong theme song was taken from the Toreador song from Carmen, the 1875 opera by Bizet.
The lyrics were written by former player John Watts in 1963. Geelong had been knocked out of the VFL preliminary final against Carlton in the previous year. Watts had just arrived at the club from East Perth and wrote the new song for the 63’ season — where it must have inspired the group — they ended up premiers.
The song refers to Kardinia Park — the old name for Simonds Stadium.
Gold Coast
Founded: 2009
Club song: ‘Suns of the Gold Coast sky’
WE are the Suns of the Gold Coast sky;
We are one in the red, gold and blue;
We are the mighty Gold Coast Suns;
We play to win the flag for you;
Fight! Fight! Fight! Till we hold up the cup;
Run, run, run all the way!
We are the Suns of the Gold Coast sky;
We’re the team who never say die!
This theme song is an original tune written in 2010 by Melbourne composer Rosco Elliott. The song was chosen from hundreds of potential Suns theme songs, being listened to by Chairman John Witheriff and some AFL executives in 2010. After hours of listening and noting down the best tracks, Sam Eustice — the club’s Commercial Manager, discovered the song by Elliott. After playing the song over and over and still singing the tune the next morning, Suns CEO Travis Auld was convinced they’d found the one.
Greater Western Sydney
Founded: 2009
Club song: ‘The Mighty Giants’
Well there’s a big big sound
From the West of the town
It’s the sound of the mighty GIANTS
You feel the ground A-SHAKING
The other teams are quaking
In their boots before the GIANTS
We take the longest strides
And the highest leap
We’re stronger than the rest
We’re the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS
We’re the biggest and the best
And we will never surrender
We’ll fight until the end
We’re greater than the rest
This theme was written by Cat Empire band member Harry Angus in 2012. Inspiration for ‘The Mighty Giants’ came about while Angus was researching 1920s music with for the TV series, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Unlike the contemporary sound of other younger clubs’ songs, Angus wanted the song to take fans back to the early days.
“It’s important to have an understanding of how old-time music works because it’s not about making it sound old-fashioned,” Angus said in 2012.
“It’s also about making it sound exciting at the same time. You don’t want to make it sound old-fashioned and boring.”
The song is an original composition, but it does show similarities to traditional ‘oompah’ tunes, like this one used at Jewish weddings.
Hawthorn
Founded: 1902
Club song: ‘We’re a happy team at Hawthorn’
We’re a happy team at Hawthorn
We’re the Mighty Fighting Hawks.
We love our Club, and we play to win,
Riding the bumps with a grin (at Hawthorn).
Come what may, you’ll find us striving
Team work is the thing that talks,
One for all and all for one
Is the way we play at Hawthorn.
We are the Mighty Fighting Hawks.
In 1956, Club solicitor Chick Lander worked with composer Jack O’Hagan- who wrote ‘Along the Rode to Gundagai’- to come up with ‘The Mighty Fighting Hawks’.
The song is sung to the tune of ‘The Yankee Doodle Boy’ written by George M. Cohen in 1904.
The song became more popular after it was featured in the wartime 1942 musical Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney.
Melbourne
Founded: 1859
Club song: ‘The grand old flag’
It’s a grand old flag
It’s a high flying flag
It’s the emblem for me and for you
It’s the emblem of the team we love
The team of the Red and the Blue
Ev’ry heart beats true
For the Red and the Blue
And we sing this song to you (What do we sing!)
Should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the Red and the Blue
‘It’s a Grand Old Flag’ was taken from an American patriotic tune, ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag’. The Melbourne theme song was written in 1912 and is one of the oldest club songs. A second verse was added by Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott, a Melbourne player, in the late 1930s.
It’s a grand old flag is an American patriotic march by George M. Cohan, and is a tribute to the American flag. The song was written for the musical George Washington Jr, which premiered in New York in 1906.
North Melbourne
Founded: 1869
Club song: ‘Join in the chorus’
Hearts to hearts and hands to hands,
Beneath the blue and white we stand,
We shout, God bless our native land,
North Melbourne, North Melbourne.
Out we come, out we come, out we come to play,
Just for recreation’s sake, to pass the time away,
Lots of fun, heaps of fun, enjoy yourself today,
North Melbourne boys are hard to beat when they come out to play.
So join in the chorus, and sing it one and all,
Join in the chorus, North Melbourne’s on the ball,
Good old North Melbourne, they’re champions you’ll agree,
North Melbourne is the team that plays to win for you and me.
The North Melbourne club song, ‘Join in the chorus,’ was adopted from the tune ‘Wee Doech ‘n Dorus’ in the 1920s. The tune was by Scottish Entertainer Harry Lauder. Not much is known about who wrote the lyrics for the North Melbourne theme. North re-recorded the club’s song in 2015 — led by You Am I frontman Tim Rogers.
Port Adelaide
Founded: 1997
Club song: ‘Power to win’
We’ve got the Power to win
Power to rule
Come on, Port Adelaide aggression
We are the Power from Port
It’s more than a sport
It’s true Port Adelaide tradition
We’ll never stop, stop, stop
Til we’re top, top, top
There’s history here in the making
We’ve got the Power to win
We’ll never give in
Til the flag is ours for the taking
POWER
With our tradition so strong
We can’t go wrong
We’re the Alberton crowd
Port Adelaide proud
And the heroes are those
Who’ve earned the right
To wear the silver — teal
And black and white
And the Port supporters
Standing tall
True believers
One and all
We’ve got the Power to win
Power to rule
Come on, Port Adelaide aggression
We are the Power from Port
It’s more than a sport
It’s true Port Adelaide tradition
We’ll never stop, stop, stop
Til we’re top, top, top
There’s history here in the making
We’ve got the Power to win
We’ll never give in
Til the flag is ours for the taking
POWER!!!
Port’s club song, “Power to win,” was written by the original Cold Chisel bassist, Les Kaczmarek and composer Quentin Eyers in 1997. It was first played at Football Park in Adelaide, following Port Adelaide’s win over Geelong in Round 3, 1997.
Richmond
Founded: 1885
Club song: ‘Oh we’re from Tigerland’
Oh we’re from tiger land
A fighting fury were from Tigerland
In any weather you will see us with a grin (hey!)
Risking head and shin (hey)
When were behind well never mind we’ll fight and fight and win
Oh were from Tigerland
were never weak until the final sirens gone
Like the tiger of old
Were strong and were bold
Oh were from tiger ...
... YELLOW AND BLACK!
We’re from Tigerland
The words to Richmond’s club song were written by entertainer Jack Malcolmson in 1962. Richmond Committee member Alf Barnett asked Malcomson to pen the lyrics to the tune of “Row. Row. Row’, a show tune from the Ziegfeld Follies of 1912. Malcomson completed the song but felt something was missing and only added the “Yellow and Black” line later.
St Kilda
Founded: 1873
Club song: ‘When the Saints go marching in’
Oh when the Saints go marching in!
Oh when the Saints go marching in!
Oh how I want to be with St. Kilda!
When the Saints go marching in!
‘When the Saints go marching in’ was written by an unknown songwriter in 1965/66, when the Saints were moving from the Junction Oval to Moorabbin. There are only 14 words in this theme song. The original tune is an American gospel hymn. This song was famously recorded on May 13, 1938 by Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra and has been covered by Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen and many others.
Sydney
Founded: 1874 as South Melbourne — they became the Sydney Swans in 1982.
Club song: ‘Cheer, Cheer the red and the white’
Cheer, cheer the red and the white,
Honour the name by day and by night,
Lift that noble banner high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky
Whether the odds be great or small,
Swans will go in and win overall
While her loyal sons are marching
Onwards to victory!
Until 1961, the club song was an adaptation of ‘Spring time in the Rockies’ by American country star Gene Autry.
‘Cheer, cheer the red and the white’ is based on the ‘Victory March’, the fight song of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The march was written in 1905 by alumni of Notre Dame, the Shea brothers.
South Melbourne supporter Larry Spokes wrote the lyrics to the South Melbourne song in the 1950s and the club was granted copyright by the University in 1961.
After the move to Sydney in the 1980s, the club took up a rewritten version of ‘Up there Cazaly’ titled ‘Up there for Sydney’. After a poor reception they returned to the South Melbourne song, swapping the lyric ‘South’ for ‘Swans’.
West Coast
Founded: 1986
Club song: ‘We’re the eagles’
HEY EAGLES!
HEY EAGLES!
HEY EAGLES!
HEY EAGLES!
We’re flying high!
We’re flying high!
We’re flying high!
We’re flying high!
We’re the Eagles!
The West Coast Eagles, and we’re here!
To show you why! We’re the big birds.
Kings of the big GAME!!!
We’re the Eagles!
WE’RE FLYING HIGH!!!!!!
The main verse of “We’re the eagles” was written by musician Kevin Peek and debuted at the launch of the West Coast Eagles in 1987. Some verses were added later, by the composer behind Freo’s theme, Ken Walther.
The original song included lyrics like, “For years they took the best of us and claimed them for their own,” and “So watch out all you know-alls, all you wise men from the east.”
Western Bulldogs
Founded: 1883 as Footscray — 1996 onwards as the Western Bulldogs
Club song: ‘Sons of the West’
Sons of the West,
Red, White and Blue.
We come out snarling
Bulldogs through and through.
Bulldogs bite and Bulldogs roar,
We give our very best.
But you can’t beat the boys of the Bulldogs breed,
We’re the team of the mighty West.
‘Sons of the west’ was born in the 1940s, and is based on an old sea shanty, ‘Sons of the sea’ also known as ‘Bobbing up and down like this’. One change to the song over the years was when the ‘Sons of the ‘Scray’ became ‘Sons of the West’ when the club transformed from Footscray to Western Bulldogs in 1996.
‘Never’: Why ANB backflipped on SA homecoming pledge
Six months after declaring he would “never” return to South Australia, Alex Neal-Bullen was unveiled as a Crows player. He reveals what changed to prompt his SA homecoming.
Cornes: It may be the silly season, but early signs are good for Crows
The AFL’s silly season is only just beginning. But Graham Cornes says if the early results are any sign, Crows fans can get excited about 2025.