With the 2021 AFL season beginning on Thursday I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate by ranking the club songs for every AFL team. I’ve always been a fan of the AFL. I first started really caring about the sport when I started consciously watching TV in 2005, which was also my first (and only) Auskick year. This was the year I chose to support the St Kilda Saints after being swayed by Nick Riewoldt, and I was thoroughly hooked into the sport after watching the Grand Final that year, after a very exciting finals campaign for the Sydney Swans. I did not watch Nick Davis live, but I did see Leo Barry's mark :-) I kinda lost interest in the sport as I started growing up and grew away from sport and more towards art, because I thought the two couldn’t exist in symbiosis, and I especially lost interest when St Kilda didn’t win three grand finals in a row. However, after a long coma after bloody Hawthorn’s dominant 2013-15, I was awoken as the team that I grew up surrounded by - the Western Bulldogs - broke their premiership drought in 2016. After that, I was deeply back into it again. Now, I have grown to be a fan of the game overall and not just the Saints, which is exciting and really satisfying for me, it’s like a piece of me finally found its place after years of not being there. So - today I’d thought I’d link my talents in music with this sport that I enjoy and rank the quality of each club’s song. A lot of them are classic songs, some of them are completely original, and some of them are quite unique (and some are not very good). 18. Adelaide Crows “The Pride of South Australia” So I’ve never heard this one before, being from Victoria, and I’m glad to announce that it is shit. The tune for this song comes from the Marines’ Hymn from the United States Marine Corps, which was first shown to me in the Looney Tunes short “Super Rabbit”. Bugs Bunny did this song better in Super Rabbit. “We’re the pride of South Australia, we’re the mighty Adelaide Crows.” It is not a catchy hook. Not even a little bit. I’d be so embarrassed if this played if the Crows won the 2017 Grand Final. The lyrics suck. The vocals are not as good either, like they’re not the same style as other club songs. They recorded the vocals weirdly and I am not for it. Usually with these male choir groups they sing pretty distinctly, but these ones sound so… nasal. It's wrong. I'm already not the biggest Crows supporter and this definitely is not winning me over, ever. We're the pride of South Australia And we're known as the Adelaide Crows. We're courageous, stronger, and 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! Yes, the pride of South Australia. We're the might Adelaide Crows! 17. Gold Coast Suns “Suns of the Gold Coast Sky” I'm not a fan. I know this isn’t really a strong critique, but this song is not very catchy. I think that is its biggest pratfall. This song sounds like it was written by a primary school child for a competition. I’m super confused if it’s a real drum kit or just MIDI. Who knows, who cares. They use a lot of “theoretically catchy” stuff but it doesn’t work out, and it has too many lyrics that kinda stink. This is too much like a song - I don’t think it’ll work as a fanfare. It has a lot of sections, and it is FAR TOO LONG. It doesn’t need an instrumental section in the middle, it's just too long. Just stop. This reminds me of Mario Kart 64, not in a fond way. 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 Hey We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky We're the team who never say die! HEY! 16. Brisbane Lions “The Pride of Brisbane Town” We’ve officially transitioned from “god awful” to “bearable”. The French national anthem shouldn’t be an AFL song, especially when the song jumps between swing and straight rhythms so much. It’s just disorienting, and Jesus Christ it's so strange to hear the crowd murmur this when the Lions win. And I'm not lying, maybe I've never been to a home win at the Gabba but damn, the crowd really does murmur this song after a game. The only thing this song nails on the head is the reinforcement of identity, hearkening back to pre-merger Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears days. This might be a controversial opinion but a longform song dOES NOT SUIT AN AFL CLUB SONG, and this song is one of the worst offenders with longform verse, instrumental verse, and then rePEATING THAT FIRST VERSE. That’s not good. This definitely has to be the weirdest adaptation of a song, and it doesn't really nail it that well. If at all. 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. 15. Hawthorn Hawks “We’re a Happy Team at Hawthorn” This one is tied with Brisbane as the bottom of the bearable bunch, but it’s not much better. I don’t rate this but it’s listenable. I might just be really harsh on this song because of Hawthorn but I just don't like it. I do think the arrangement is balanced well, finally, and it is nice to finally hear real horns. I think the lyrics could be better, but oh well, it’s short enough. I know I just said this is not awful but the reason it’s so low is that ripping off Yankee Doodle Dandy rip is never a good idea. It just makes your song a meme, and not a good one. This is like Geelong’s - A bit weird to hear after a game. The arrangement reminds me of when you finish last in Mario Kart. 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 counts One for all and all for one Is the way we play at Hawthorn We are the mighty fighting Hawks 14. North Melbourne Kangaroos “Join in the Chorus” This one’s probably as bad as Brisbane’s. I dunno (turns out I was wrong). Join in the chorus? I mean, I get “Join in the chorus” but that’s a bit lame. My main issue with this song is that there’s no North Melbourne identity around it, like you look at Essendon’s or Richmond’s, which are quite distinctly theirs, and you compare it to this song where the lyrics could literally be replaced with anything and it could be another club’s song. Speaking of the song, I do commend them for taking inspiration from the Scottish It reminds me of a protagonist walking into a bar and everyone inside is skirmishing or something. I’ve never heard this one - some North fans haven’t either. For a long time. It’s pretty short - I do rag on songs that overstay their welcome but this song felt pretty modest. It’s just such a shame that this song is not very exciting - most average song I feel. It is nice to see the players get around it though, it’s very short and I think that makes it really good for the players to sing. Okay, I’ve done some further research and it turns out this song has been with North Melbourne for over a hundred years. I should put this higher because it is a wonderful case of tradition persisting. It’s just such a shame it doesn’t carry to people who’ve never heard this song before. Scottish people probably really love this song. 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 13. Carlton Blues “We are the Navy Blues” Carlton’s club song feels like a huge joke, kinda like their current form. It's not half bad, though, ‘We are the Navy Blues’ a great song if you were just so drunk you couldn’t talk. Kinda explains their large fanbase. Fucking Australians I s2g. The song isn’t that bad, but the lyrics aren’t the best. I will commend that this song has a great sense of identity, much more than North Melbourne’s. Unfortunately, it is long, but it ends well though! Holy shit, this would be so inappropriate at the end of a grand final. I wonder how long it's been their song... The horn arrangement is pretty cool, and the middle section solo is pretty great and... yeah. 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! 12. Geelong Cats “We are Geelong” I like the song. I’m fairly sure I like it. Maybe. I think Polka is quite hard to use for a winning team fanfare. It just sounds so silly and out of place because it’s so jaunty. I imagine Fortnite dancing to this song - it’s just one of those songs. I always laugh. Is that just me? I think it is. Maybe it’s just in this context. The lyrics are pretty simple, and the identity solidification is nice, but I dunno, it's so goofy. The horn solo is so nice though… I don’t have much to say about this one, it’s nice. I do think it’s pretty inappropriate to have at the end of a game though, which is why it’s so low. 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 11. Fremantle Dockers “Freo Way to Go” FREO WAY TO GO. I haven’t heard this one before either. It's not half bad. I know the arrangement is a bit of a mess but I have been going "FREEEO WAY TO GO" all week so that must mean something. You can tell they’re a modern era team with a song like this. Unlike the other modern era teams before on this list this one has a great hook. While it is a bit over the top and so cluttered, song-wise it is pretty mediocre and short, which is good for a club chant. This song also does away with an instrumental part with an okaaay bridge section. It is relieving to hear it mixed up a bit but it's not like, amazing. Anyway, not much to say about this song otherwise. Freo Way to Go Hit Em Real Hard Send Them Down Below Freo Give em The Old Heave-Ho We Are the Freo Dockers Freo Way to Go Hit Em Real Hard Send Them Down Below. 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 role them and we'll rock em, We're gonna send them 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 Them Down Below Freo Give em The Old Heave-Ho We Are the Freo Dockers Freo Way to Go Hit Em Real Hard Send Them Down Below. Freo Give em the Old Heave-Ho We Are the Freo Dockers 10. Port Adelaide Power “Power to Win” WE GOT THE POWER TO WIN. I have a feeling the Gold Coast Suns took a leaf out of Port Adelaide’s club song, they’re quite similar. Honestly, I hate some of these lyrics so much. Why Port Adelaide aggression? Just to rhyme with tradition? Blegh! But overall, the lyrics are not that bad. I don’t like the harmonies - they’re unnecessary… or are they? It’s not that bad. I think there’s just too many textures, overall. I do think the beat switch and tempo change are quite cool though, and are what rate this song much higher than Gold Coast’s. This one is really strange. It does go on a little too long, but I guess if you’re quite into it then it’s good. I feel this song has a way of enveloping you into it, unlike some of the previous entries on this list. This song does have one of the best endings for a club song though. POWAAAAAH! This is probably the most layered song of the bunch, it's quite interesting, and it builds to its climax pretty well! 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!!! 9. Melbourne Demons “It’s a Grand Old Flag” The “average” club song. This song is pretty okay. It doesn’t really have a sense of identity (like there’s no mention of demons or the club’s history) but the arrangement is good, and I've heard it used for many clubs in many sports (like my friend's Lacrosse Club). I do think this this song rhymes far better than any other club song so far. The instrumental in the middle is also pretty sick. I also think this song has nice reverb, is that just me? I have a Melbourne supporter friend and he’s hilarious when he yells this after games when he’s had a fair few, maybe that’s why I have it so high. 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 Should old acquaintance be forgot Keep your eye on the red and the blue! 8. West Coast Eagles “We’re the Eagles” So there’s a newer version of this song and I didn’t realise, so I won’t be reviewing that version. Sorry, it's probably good. Your first impression of this song was that it was so weird, and that it sounds so fake and overcompressed, and that overall it's a bit of a joke, even for a club song. The lyrics are very simple, and not very deep. But then the song kept changing keys and repeating the main hook and I thought “Oh hell, I get around this.” It's only one stanza for the whole song, just like #1 on this list. WE’RE THE EAGLES is a very good hook, and you'll be singing along with this song before you know it. For a team associated with the modern era, their song is quite intelligently made. I know that the opening is 100% “IN THE AIR TONIGHT by Phil Collins” but like it’s still good and catchy. It’s as if one Western Australian is singing at the beginning, but then the whole state joins in. I initially didn’t think this song was effective after a win, but after that past evaluation I am fully on board with this song. I really love how not wordy this song is, it’s focally centred around the main hook. I also appreciate the many key changes it takes, it shows development, even if it may have one too many changes. There’s a lot of WOOOS when the players sing it, which is great. 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 7. Collingwood Magpies “Good Ol’ Collingwood Forever” As much as I dread Collingwood, this one has a good hook. The BANJO SLAPS. This is where the club songs stop being mediocre or average and get good and catchy, and make you smile. The lyrics reinforce a good club identity, and frankly that’s what you need to get right, even if the lyrics are a bit cringe in places. Arrangement is great, as you’d expect. It’s also pretty short compared to some other songs. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. A short fanfare is a polite way to stop the pain from losing to Collingwood. Overall, this is pretty good. It’s very cheery and a great fanfare to play after a winning game. It’s pretty catchy. 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. 6. Western Bulldogs “Sons of the West” SONS OF THE WEST. I’m gonna have many angry messages that Sons of the West isn’t higher in this list but whatever, it’s a tight contest in the top 8 here. This song is so iconic to me, growing up in the west. Have you ever tried yelling “SONS OF THE WEST” BEFORE? It’s the best. The lyrics are good. There’s not much to say really, this is your above average song. It ends very well too. The 2016 grand final gives me humongous feels for this song, as it should for everyone. Staggering. Not much else to say really. 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 Bulldog breed We're the team of the mighty West 5. Essendon Bombers “See the Bombers Fly Up” I actually rate this one a lot. Probably because the original song “Keep Your Sunny Side Up” is pretty good. The “UP. UP.” is pretty funny if you just hear it in a vacuum but I’d think it’s pretty good to chant. This song might be higher than it has any right to be because the tune are so ingrained into my childhood because my brother’s a Bomber’s supporter. That being said, I haven’t heard this one a lot recently. I don’t think Essendon fans have either. The horn solo is very nice, and quite iconic in footy, I feel like I’ve heard it in advertisements before. I like how the repeat of the hook is in a different key, it creates development in the song while not over-complicating it. This one doesn’t overstay its welcome and it’s pretty catchy! It ends well too. 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! 4. Richmond Tigers “We’re from Tigerland” People will probably get mad this isn’t #1 but this is iconic. It’s a really catchy song, and it’s how to do ska beats right. I was attending a Brisbane vs Richmond game in 2019 barracking for Brisbane, and I was astounded that I joined in the Richmond song after the game. Maybe it’s because I’ve heard it so much since 2016. Love them or not, you must agree YELLOW AND BLACK moment is pretty great and the whole song is so memorable. Lyrics are actually pretty good - great sense of identity for the club. I particularly love the lyric "Like the Tiger of old / We're strong and we're bold" because Richmond really did win 10 premierships before 1981, it's just a good way to include folklore and identity to your song. Maybe it’s a bit long, but that main hook is quite nice so that’s okay. Good for the players to sing after a win. Very shoutable. The only reason it isn't higher is because I'm pretty sick of this song, through no fault of its own, and I just prefer the next three. Oh, we're from Tigerland A fighting fury, we're from Tigerland In any weather, you will see us with a grin Risking head and shin If we're behind, then never mind We'll fight and fight and win For we're from Tigerland We never weaken 'till the final siren's gone Like the tiger of old We're strong and we're bold For we're from Tiger Yellow and black We're from Tigerland 3. Sydney Swans “Cheer, Cheer the Red and the White” This song is just top notch. It's arranged beautifully. It’s very catchy - Dare I say the melody is one the better ones, and the lyrics are very good too. I've gotta stipulate that this is one of the best arrangements for a club song. The horn part sounds great, and oh my god there’s a dedicated banjo section, like what! Like Essendon’s, song the hook has a key change but the incredible arrangement keeps building to this beautiful ending that explodes. It’s very uplifting, and it feels very awesome to hear. Players yelling the lyrics is pretty good, even if there’s a lot of words. Wonderful. 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! 2. Greater Western Sydney Giants “There’s a Big Big Sound” You know I had to do it. Without a doubt, this is the best modern-era AFL team song, probably forever. When Harry Angus of Cat Empire fame writes your club song, you know it’ll be good. I remember when I was younger and listening to an interview on Triple J he said that he got like $10 in royalties every time the Giants won. That's pretty cool. This is the only modern-era song that fits with the older club songs, and I truly commend it for that. I’m fairly sure they actually recorded all the instruments for this song, and didn’t use software sounds like other modern-era songs. For that, I have to give this song utmost praise. This song is memeable as hell. You can’t not mention that. The lyrics are iconic, and actually pretty good when you get to the nitty-gritty. The rhythm and horns are all stompy and bombastic, like GIANTS. It's just so great. I know it's super absurd to hear after a game is over, and it's not as tonally happy as the other club songs, but whatever, this sounds great, and it feels great to hear it. A real modern generation club song. I also think it works really well when sung by the players in the rooms afterwards. Sydney Miller also says this is “a scary circus song”. That’s great. 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 1. St Kilda Saints “When the Saints go Marching In (Adaptation)” Okay, I may be biased but I get pure eudaemonia from this. How can you not know all the lyrics to this song? It’s so easy to remember. The arrangement is simple and effective, the chord change is great and it’s so uplifting. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, which means it can be REPEATED after a game is finished. You can’t really do that with other songs without fans getting sick of it. I must also add how easy it is to yell this song. It’s not wordy. Anyone can join in. It’s SO good when the club players sing after a win. To me, it is without doubt the best song. The only downside I can think of is that less lyrics can represent a lack of identity? Nah I think that’s a good thing, don’t wanna be singing about our rack of wooden spoons. Also - fun fact - my first ever performance singing was singing this song when I was in my first year of primary school as a wee boy. There's probably footage of it somewhere. 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! Did you agree with my listing? Do you disagree? Well, whatever you think, thanks for reading.
I just want to say that I'll be supporting my friend Soren for his launch of the lovely song "The Glare" on Wednesday April 7th at The Gasometer in Melbourne. I'll drop a link for tickets here: https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/soren-single-launch/126519 and I'll see you next week! Thanks - R
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