As longstanding as the St Kilda Football Club itself are the colours which have adorned our guernsey for almost 150 years: the famous red, white and black.

The iconic tricolour design has endured through thick and thin, gracing every champion who has ever represented the mighty Saints. Our famous colours can be traced all the way back to the club’s inception in 1873, predating the iconic crest by around 60 years.

The St Kilda Football Club was formed from the remnants of the South Yarra Football Club, after the latter powerhouse folded in 1872. The red and white of South Yarra merged with the black and white of the new St Kilda, birthing the famous design we all know and love today. And while the panels themselves have been tweaked slightly across the years, the vertical stripes of red, white and black have remained virtually unchanged.

The Saints briefly abandoned the white in favour of yellow during World War I to distance themselves from the colours of the German Empire. St Kilda’s new colours were a showing of support for Allied force, Belgium, with the design lasting until 1922 before the iconic tri-colour design was restored.

While a lot has changed in 147 years, the red, white and black has remained a constant. From Barker to Baldock, Lockett to Riewoldt, Howell to Harvey, Mohr to Murray and countless other legends, they’ve all worn our colours with pride, and countless more will continue to do so.