Names on Jerseys

[Long Live the King]

Re: Names in Jerseys

Will never happen. Sponsors pay to have their name on the jumper, the more "noise" the less they will pay.

 

[invinciBlues]

Re: Names in Jerseys

It's a major marketing point, and like it or not, marketing is a huge part of any professional sport these days. Millions of dollars worth of team sporting apparel is sold purely as fashion.

People buy AFL jumpers for the design on the front, not for the name on the back. Its not an "untapped" market as you would have us believe.

AFL clubs would probably already make millions of dollars on apparel with scarves, beanies, clash jumpers, jackets, watches, singlets, shorts, caps, hats, gloves, hoodies, boxers, ties, cuff links, t-shirts, and so on.

Names on the back? Not gonna make a huge difference.

 

[Bully187]

Re: Names in Jerseys

Yeh wouldn't mind the old names on the jumpers as long as they weren't too in ya face i think it would add something for the less of a footy nut type of viewer.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Re: Names in Jerseys

People buy AFL jumpers for the design on the front, not for the name on the back. Its not an "untapped" market as you would have us believe.

Yeah, they do now.

However, look at some other sports where they have names on shirts. Basketball is a great example. How many Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys do you reckon you'd have seen around over the past decade if it wasn't for one man? How many LA Lakers jerseys would you see if it wasn't for Kobe? The entire NBA jersey marketing is based around a few superstars.

Soccer is the same. There as massive market for shirts with the names of megastar soccer players on them. Rooney, Kaka, Ronaldo, Torres.

People buy guernseys for the front now, but tons of people get the number of their favourite player on the back, and that will continue to happen with names.

It's an absolute inevitablity, especially when we go to free agency and players become more interested in marketing themselves, not just their teams. It's also not the end of the world as we know it as some on here would have you believe.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Re: Names in Jerseys

By this time next year, Chelsea will have brought in bucketloads of cash on Torres t-shirts.

 

[Mr Budda Bing]

Re: Names in Jerseys

AFL Team shops have the name available on the back for 12 bucks but it will never be incorporated in the home and away games

Tradition

 

[aneale]

Re: Names in Jerseys

How come the surname of each player isn't written on the back of their respective jersey? Most sports do this. Anyone know why it isn't done in the AFL?

Edit: Change the topic name to Names on Jerseys please!

the 'in' is the least of your errors.

Secondly, Aussie Rules isn't an arena sport. Its not played on a postage stamp where they can be read or by players who all look the same under helmets and padding. What's the point of having a name on the back of a guernsey when 95% of the people couldn't read it with a pair of binoculars.

Worse thing the EPL ever did introducing it.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Re: Names in Jerseys

Yeah, it's destroying the EPL.

 

[invinciBlues]

Re: Names in Jerseys

It's an absolute inevitablity, especially when we go to free agency and players become more interested in marketing themselves, not just their teams.

Yeah, because Cats' fans are lining up to follow Junior to the Gold Coast like they do with those other sports you mentioned.

We have our favourite players of course, but our code is one where the supporters stick by their club regardless of who ****s off where.

In summary: Club>Player

Free agency aint gonna change that.

 

[Wallaby]

Re: Names in Jerseys

Yeah, because Cats' fans are lining up to follow Junior to the Gold Coast like they do with those other sports you mentioned.

We have our favourite players of course, but our code is one where the supporters stick by their club regardless of who ****s off where.

In summary: Club>Player

Free agency aint gonna change that.

You are 100% right there, of course.

However, look at the individual profiles of some sportstars in team sports.

Real Madrid gets on the news even more when Beckham and now Ronaldo join them.
Many people outside the US had never heard of the Miami heat until LeBron james joined them.

If you think those are extreme because they are the No 1 sports 'personalities' in the world - I reckon galatarasay have had a boost over here since Kewell started playing there. Everton always gets a mention on the local news because Timmy Cahill plays there.
Name an NBA team other than the seattle storm (Lauren Jackson). Or jump on an NBA forum and see how many 'Aussie Bucks Fans' there are out there now.

Existing fans will almost certainly not change their allegiance because of players (there are about .01% who will). But undecided fans will follow a team that their favorite player playes for.
I did - I used to watch NFL purely for laughs. Then when I saw Barry Sanders, i watched more, and decided to follow the Detroit with a bit of interest. Unfortunately, their record makes Richmond look successful.

 

[krisholio14]

Re: Names in Jerseys

You are 100% right there, of course.

However, look at the individual profiles of some sportstars in team sports.

Real Madrid gets on the news even more when Beckham and now Ronaldo join them.
Many people outside the US had never heard of the Miami heat until LeBron james joined them.

If you think those are extreme because they are the No 1 sports 'personalities' in the world - I reckon galatarasay have had a boost over here since Kewell started playing there. Everton always gets a mention on the local news because Timmy Cahill plays there.
Name an NBA team other than the seattle storm (Lauren Jackson). Or jump on an NBA forum and see how many 'Aussie Bucks Fans' there are out there now.

Existing fans will almost certainly not change their allegiance because of players (there are about .01% who will). But undecided fans will follow a team that their favorite player playes for.
I did - I used to watch NFL purely for laughs. Then when I saw Barry Sanders, i watched more, and decided to follow the Detroit with a bit of interest. Unfortunately, their record makes Richmond look successful.

It's one thing to be drawn to a club because of a player, and sticking with that club once a player moves on.

It's another thing to follow that player wherever he goes, and leave the club behind.

That seems to be the way it's going these days for increasing numbers of sports fans, but for me personally, I find it a very shallow way of going about it. Possibly a form of cheating too.

Like the 'fans' I know who don't follow a team, but always seem to have a favorite player on a team that wins the championship each year.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Re: Names in Jerseys

Soccer is the same. There as massive market for shirts with the names of megastar soccer players on them. Rooney, Kaka, Ronaldo, Torres.

People buy guernseys for the front now, but tons of people get the number of their favourite player on the back, and that will continue to happen with names.

It's an absolute inevitablity, especially when we go to free agency and players become more interested in marketing themselves, not just their teams. It's also not the end of the world as we know it as some on here would have you believe.

I always find it refreshing to see a mass bonfire of player shirts when the star player in question uproots to another club (often a hated rival) every 2-3 years. Imagine if you dropped the equivalent of about $130 for your son to get Man U Tevez shirt or a Liverpool Torres shirt? You reckon he'd still be able to wear that, after the player left?

Same with the AFL. I don't see how a massive increase in player movement will make it more beneficial for us to spend an extra $30-odd on player-specific jumpers, then spend another $100 in a few years when that player jumps ship. I'll still be getting the blank ones, thanks...

 

[Bully187]

Re: Names in Jerseys

AFL Team shops have the name available on the back for 12 bucks but it will never be incorporated in the home and away games

Tradition

I think you are following the completely wrong sport if you believe the league gives 2 shits about tradition in our game. Look at the bloody 5 rule changes annually for ****s sake, they couldn't care less.