In the Fremantle Dockers’ 25th year, club physiotherapist Dr Jeffrey Boyle takes us back through the club’s history with the podcast ‘Bleeding Purple’. 

Episode one features Fremantle’s inaugural chairman Ross Kelly.

Boyle has worked for Fremantle since 1 November 1994 and has been involved in every single one of Fremantle's 543 games to date.

If it weren’t for some cheeky stubbornness by inaugural chairman Ross Kelly, Fremantle’s main colour would have been royal blue, not purple.

Speaking on the podcast Bleeding Purple, Kelly revealed how a mischievous plan helped prevent the WAFC from overruling the clubs colours. 

Kelly said that Fremantle were directed by the AFL to utilise more than two colours in their jumper, settling on purple, green and white before red was later added.

The design by Neil Turner, the creator of the Boxing Kangaroo, initially featured royal blue before Turner re-jigged the design. 

“The (royal blue) jumper looked ok but it was only just ok,” Kelly said.

Then Neil surprised us all by effectively saying ‘I know how to fix it but you probably won’t agree.’”

“He then showed us what would become the original home jumper with the purple, and it lifted the whole jumper completely and we were hooked on it.

“We were very excited about this purple so we placed a larger order. We gave Burley Sekem, who were making the jumper, the design and we placed a large order for the team and supporters, but we put the order on hold pending what we thought would be just a rubber stamp by the commission.”

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The meeting with the commission didn’t go as planned, with both sides reaching a stalemate, but Kelly had a plan.

“This is not my proudest hour, when we left, but we told Burley Sekem to run the colours (with the purple) and then about four days later I went back to the commission apologetically and said ‘oops there’s been a blue’,” Kelly said.

“I told them that the jumpers have been run but I’ve told Burley and we can scrap them and run the blue ones, but we would have to pay for them.

“Thankfully they said that we could leave it, so that’s how we got the purple.”