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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jack Snape

Glory and Fury to Devils and Dolphins: Australian team names come full circle

Dolphins Glory Devils NRL Australia AFL Cameron Duncan JackJumpers Lightning NBL
Students of Campbell Town district high school pose during a Tasmania Devils media opportunity
Tasmania Devils, along with the Perth Bears and the Dolphins, have marked a shift away from more vibe-driven names such as Glory, Storm and Power. Photograph: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/Getty Images

The naming trends for Australian professional sports teams have come full circle, as fans and officials overlook vibe-driven monikers like Glory and the plurally challenged Power or Storm to return to animals that bite, some 30 years after one of the great sports marketing revolutions took hold.

The three latest expansion announcements in the NRL and AFL have revived classic animal mascots, through the Perth Bears, Tasmania Devils and Dolphins from Redcliffe.

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