Deep within a London storage facility sits the original photograph of a deeply offensive footy banner Collingwood players ran through in 1995. The photo has been inaccessible since the COVID-19 pandemic, but authors Leigh Meyrick and Matthew Hagias managed to track down a low resolution version to publish in their new book Footy Banners: A Complete Run-Through, which colourfully tells the story of one of AFL's most enduring traditions. Collingwood's banner for their round 19 clash against Essendon in 1995 read: 'STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES BUT NAMES WILL NEVER HURT ME'. Next to the well-worn schoolyard phrase was a large baby's dummy, painted in Essendon colours. Earlier that year in the inaugural ANZAC Day clash, Magpie ruckman Damian Monkhorst had racially abused Bombers Indigenous star Michael Long. Almost four months later, the Magpies decided to have another crack. MORE CANBERRA SPORT "It's obviously something that Collingwood wouldn't be proud of and I'm sure if they had their time again they wouldn't have put together such a banner," Meyrick said. "It was actually quite a difficult banner to find and it hasn't been widely reported on over the years. "In an era when things weren't archived as well, this photo was taken by a photo agency that got bought out by another and bought out by another. Getty have the rights to that photo and the original is sitting in their storage facility in London which no one can access at the moment. "This tiny photo we've got in the book is the highest quality we can get our hands on - it's something that we probably would've liked to have run bigger. "Everyone knows about the famous Fitzroy ones, Hawthorn in the 80s copped a bit of flack over the years for their banners but this is one that's flown under the radar, we're pretty keen to be able to reflect on it and show it as an example of how far the game's come." Meyrick and Hagias's book provides a fascinating journey through the evolution of footy banners, and the relationships fans have with their beloved clubs. The banner has become a canvas for great mirth, as comedian Danny McGinlay demonstrated so well for the Western Bulldogs. When the Bulldogs came to Canberra in 2017 to play GWS they ran through a banner which read: "Finally something to do in Canberra on a Friday night". Before round one of 2017, Carlton ran through a banner taking a shot at Richmond star Dustin Martin's new haircut. Richmond went on to win three out of the next four premierships, while Martin won a record three Norm Smith medals. Banners have also become a place where disgruntled fans can air their dirty laundry. In 1996, Fitzroy's dying year, players ran through a banner which read "Seduced by North, raped by Brisbane, f----d by the AFL". But they're also a display of great celebration for milestone men, and more poignantly an opportunity to pay respects to those who have gone before us. Adelaide and Port Adelaide memorably put their differences aside in 2015 and ran through a joint banner in memory of murdered Crows coach Phil Walsh. "There's the historical side of it, but then there's the funny side of it, there's the heart-warming side," Meyrick said. "There's been some really edgy banners that have pushed the boundaries. We definitely wanted it to be a book that celebrated the whole of Australian footy culture and the community connection to it. "There was plenty of hours spent going through photo archives and that's the beauty of footy banners, they're such a visual thing. "Matt, my co-author puts it really well somewhere in the book, where he says it takes hours of love and dedication to put together then within a moment they're literally torn to shreds." Footy Banners: A Complete Run-Through, by Leigh Meyrick and Matthew Hagias, is available now