Sport
6 November, 2023
Lexton changes back to traditional black and yellow sash, vacated by Royal Park
Lexton Football Netball Club will be donning the sash across all its football and netball grades for the first time since 2010, with the club gaining approval to change its jumper for the 2024 season. After the Lexton Plains Football League folded...
Lexton Football Netball Club will be donning the sash across all its football and netball grades for the first time since 2010, with the club gaining approval to change its jumper for the 2024 season.
After the Lexton Plains Football League folded in 2011, the Tigers debuted a new strip which accommodated their arrival, with Royal Park already in possession of the traditional black jumper with yellow sash.
The result saw Lexton adopt a largely grey design, with splashes of yellow and black across their jumper.
However, with Bushy completing their merger with Maryborough Rovers to become the Maryborough Giants for the 2024 season, a vacancy opened up for use of the Richmond-inspired jumper, which Lexton pounced on.
After consultation with both Royal Park and the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League, the club were granted approval two weeks ago to change their jumper design for 2024.
Lexton president Jordan Phelan was pleased at the result, knowing multiple life members had pushed for the change.
“With the merger of the two Maryborough teams, a few locals voiced their opinion and wished to get the sash back, so as a committee, we voted on it and then approached the league executives, who were in favour of us donning the sash next year,” he said.
“Once the Lexton Plains league folded and we moved into the Maryborough league, we had to honour Royal Park and their Tiger strip, so we had to find an alternate strip, which served us well for the last 13 years, but to go back to our heritage jumper speaks volumes.”
Phelan acknowledged the respect Royal Park showed in their endeavours to reclaim a jumper design which had served them for over 60 years.
“Royal Park accepting and acknowledging both Tiger strips was important and we’re grateful to them for the opportunity arising. We approached them and sought approval first before we approached anyone else, and once we went through the committee, we went through the league executives and we appreciate them accepting it,” he said.
“There’s quite a bit of heritage — we wore the sash for 60 years and they acknowledged that moving forward, which is good.”
The club are the custodians of further good news with their change, with local company Judesign stepping up to help sponsor the jumpers, saving the Tigers the hassle of financing 135 new jumpers.
“We have our long-time major sponsors on the back, but we also have another local sponsor to help support the jumpers themselves,” Phelan said.
“When you are looking at purchasing 135 jumpers across junior and senior grades, that can be pretty pricey in terms of grassroots footy and they are expenses you don’t plan for most of the time.
“But for them to go ahead and sponsor the senior jumpers is a massive coup for us and one of financial benefits. They have the best interest of the club as well, and want to see the original strip return.”
According to Phelan, it is a move which has won high praise from supporters around the club.
“The feedback has been very positive. When we put it out for the wider network, there has been nothing but praise for the club and a lot of joy for the local legends too,” he said.