Competition "What If" Wednesdays - Time Traveller Sneezes Edition: Week 72 - Launceston to the AFL

[cannavo]

Welcome to ...

Marty McFly has done himself a mischief and has altered the course of Aussie footy in ways you can't imagine!
Get ready to dive into alternate futures!​

What is “What If” Wednesdays?
"What if" Wednesdays was a competition comprised of real-life football team proposals, merger propositions, former teams and a few hypotheticals brought to life by the FJGD community (eg. If the Melbourne-Hawthorn merger went ahead, if University/Fitzroy/Bris Bears stuck around, if Gold Coasts nickname were the Lifesavers etc.) it became this boards longest running competition (8/9/14 – 29/5/19). It has been revived under a meme cultured spin-off! Time traveller sneezes memes are all about butterfly effects on various things caused by a time traveller altering the past by means of a simple sneeze.

What’s new this time around?
This time or these times around, we will be flung into various timelines where our universes former teams, mergers, relocation proposals never existed or had its outcome altered slightly or severely! The list below is comprised of alternate timelines and the butterfly effect caused by our cheeky time traveller. Your job is to envision this outcome! Each comp will run for 1 week and the poll will run for 3 days. The winner picks the next team from the list below!

There are some routes you can go by if you're stuck:

• The chosen team has entered their designated competition in the current year (unless specified) along with the current teams OR
• You may design kits at any point in time unless strictly specified OR
• Accompany your kits with a backstory on how the team came to be to help better envision the outcome
• Use Google to search the history and stories behind what is being altered
• There's no shame in using AI here, sometimes ideas just can't put into pixels right away so AI is there to help you with brainstorming ideas for your jumper(s)/logo and the backstory

The bare minimum for an entry is:

• A home kit with just the front of the jumper showing
  (Back, shorts, socks are optional)
• OPTIONAL Away kit (Home with white shorts is acceptable)
• OPTIONAL 3rd kit and beyond!
  • Clash kit
  • Heritage kit
  • Other kit
• OPTIONAL Club Logo (Highly Encouraged!)

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Let’s see what has happened this time



Our Timeline: Launceston Football Club compete in the NTFA Premier League
Altered Timeline: They change leagues to the AFL​

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Basic Rules (Please read carefully):

1. Kits and Logo must be in 1 picture (Makes polls easier to fit everything in)
2. The kits can consist of just a Jumper's front (Back, Shorts and socks are optional but encouraged to give a full identity effect)
3. Minimum 1 kit and there's no limit to how many kits you can include after that
   eg. Home and Away and/or Clash and/or Heritage and/or Others
   1. Designing a Home and away/clash kit is highly encouraged for that authentic feel and to develop that alternate universe experience
4. Attempt to stay close to the altered timeline mentioned above
5. Directly copying current football team kits/logos are not allowed
6. For the logo, you may take inspiration from and/or alter any existing sports logo to drive home your design. Also logos made from scratch are more than welcome!
7. Maximum 2 entries per person
8. Any questions at all, please ask!

Specific Category Rules for this week:

League Transfers Rules:

1. The entering team may need to alter their kit and/or logo to not directly copy or closely bear a resemblance to any of the teams in that league
2. Attempt to create a slight variant of the entering club to better visualise that alternative timeline look, whether it’s the addition of a colour or 2, a redesign or a name change

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Final alternate timelines with categories
Bold - Completed with poll results
Italic - Newly added

Mergers

• Melbourne - St Kilda merger (1995)
• Tasmania - Fitzroy Merger
• Sydney - Fitzroy Merger
• Gold Coast Suns seek merger with Sharks to stay alive
• Fitzroy - Brisbane (Fitzroy Bears)
• Tasmania agree to merger with North Melbourne
• Port Melbourne granted VFL licensed but only if they merge with Fitzroy
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Williamstown merge with Footscray – 1989
• Norwood / Port Adelaide AFL merger (1991)
• South Melbourne - Footscray merger
• South Melbourne - North Melbourne merger
• Carlton – North Melbourne Merger/hostile takeover
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Fitzroy - Richmond Merger (East Melbourne Ligers)

Relocations

• Saints relocate to NZ
• Essendon relocate to NT to become Alice Springs
• Hawthorn relocate to Canberra
• Fitzroy relocate to Canberra
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Fitzroy relocate to Brisbane in the 80s (Prior to the Bears existing)
• South Melbourne relocate to Tasmania
• South Melbourne relocate to Canberra
• Fitzroy complete move to North Sydney - 1980
• Footscray relocate to Queensland - 1981
• Fitzroy relocate to Perth - 1981
• GWS relocate to Canberra
• Melbourne relocate to Mars
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Fitzroy relocate to South Africa - 1997
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Richmond relocate to Hobart to become the Tasmanian Tigers

League transfers

• West Coast Eagles to the SANFL
• Brisbane Bears to the SANFL
• Fitzroy to the SANFL - 1981
• Footscray to the SANFL - 1981
• Adelaide Uni to the SANFL - 1991 (cannot use only black and white)
• Collingwood to the SANFL - 1997
• East Perth to the VFL - 1980
• Norwood to the AFL
• Launceston to the AFL
• Essendon to the WAFL
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Perth to the AFL (Merger of Perth, East Perth & West Perth)
• Glenelg to the AFL - 1997
• Geelong West to the VFL - 1976
• Swan Districts to the AFL - 1991

New Teams

• Port Adelaide crows join the AFL - 1991
• Papua New Guinea enter the AFL
• Limestone Coast join the SANFL
• Mount Gambier join the SANFL
• Sydney enter as a separate team (Bloods stay in Vic)
• Darwin join the AFL - 1991
• Public Service Football Club join the VFL
• Gold Coast fold, new North Queensland team take their place - 2030
• NZ enter 90's State of Origin
• Broome become the 2nd WA AFL team
  • Tiebreaker Poll
• Gold Coast hijack Brisbane Bears VFL entry - 1986
• Hobart to the AFL (Can't use Devils branding)
• Newcastle team to the AFL
• Southwest of WA to the AFL
• Tea Tree Gully & Modbury merge to make tenth SANFL team (2014)
• All-Encompassing Vic Country team enter the VFL - 1960
• Red Bull given the 20th AFL licence.
• South West WA team enter AFL as The Pelicans

Colour Corner

• West Coast Eagles VFL kits altered due to Williamstown sharing the same colours
• GWS keep their 'Team GWS' colours
• Port Adelaide retain their Magenta
• Adelaide's hurried concept
  (Adelaide board hastily attain clothes from local sport store and use the 5 colours to design their new AFL team)
• Fremantle keep Red & Green, remove Purple & White
• Williamstown join the VFL in 1925 - design a late '90s/early '00s clash/away guernsey for them (1995-2005)
• Tasmania to wear one-off Cadbury sponsor jumper including purple

Specials

• Hawthorn release Ochre jumper - 2000
• Skittle's sponsor Essendon and release special guernsey
• Heidelberg Warriors align with Collingwood for 1 season - 1996
• Melbourne remain as 'The Invincible Whites'
• Collingwood remain as 'Britannia'
• Carlton remain as 'The Cockatoos'
• Hawthorn remain as 'The Mayblooms'
• BigFooty X Gold Coast Suns (BigFooty becomes the majority stakeholder, and primary sponsor of Gold Coast, requesting a new jumper set with the deal)
• South Melbourne Hellas purchase South Melbourne Swans

Cross-Code Craze

• Newcastle Knights to the VFL - 1988
• Cronulla Sharks to the AFL - 1998
• South Sydney Rabbitohs to the AFL
• Canberra Raiders to the AFL
• North Sydney Bears to the AFL

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​

 

[terrybull]

Launceston Greens

 

[_Damo_]

Launceston Football Club.
Mens team; The Kings
Womens team; The Queens

Named for Kings Bridge, which is also replicated in the jumper design.

 

[Mozzie_Squad]

 

[Mozzie_Squad]

 

[EagleOz]

 

[cannavo]

Ok, I feel the increased use of AI has to be addressed. This board prides itself on self made ideas, creations and portfolios, and watching users home in on their skills as their creations get better and better.

Yes, I allowed AI for those who have little to no experience with graphic design, have no access to the right programs, limited access to a PC or whatever to have a go at envisioning their ideas. But the previous poll is clear indication that AI generated images have that distinct vibe which is off-putting to some which is understandable, plus nowadays we double check images for detecting abnormalities that tell us if the image is real or not

I get it, no one's perfect and neither am I. I'm not outright banning or shaming the use of AI, but I want to bring to light the drawbacks of relying on it. I was lenient at first but the path this competition is heading down isn't a good one. Blink once and 4/5 entries are solely AI generated. It's disheartening seeing entries that look like it was the first thing ChatGPT/Grok spat out (not saying every AI entry is exactly that).

I propose future AI generated entries provide proof that some thought went into the design. Here's a good example from EagleOz's entry from Week 70. You can make a rough idea in Paint, on a piece of paper or whatever program and have AI make it presentable. Yes it still has that AI vibe, but at least in this example, some thought went into what the user wanted envisioned.

Even Damo's entry here's a great example. Prominent self made kit + design and a subtle use of AI placing the design on footy players giving it that in-game realism

I have mentioned many times that this board is always welcoming newcomers and are always eager to help you in whatever you wish to achieve. It really is a great feeling seeing users entries get more refined over the years and even get roles in the real world!

Take me for example:

Then (My first post/design here: August 2012)

Now (well, July 2025)

+ A North Melbourne Good Friday Appeal jumper to my name!

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Consider this a new beginning for your designing journey!

Nothing is impossible! Have a look at the Template Thread and play around with what's on offer - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-template-and-resource-thread.1100538/

There are no dumb questions, we all have to start somewhere, ask away! - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/question-and-answer-thread.691310/
​

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To summarize, you can still use AI, but keep in mind, it's not looked at favourably depending on how you use it, and some thought and effort put into entries is the best way forward to prevent further debates​

 

[EagleOz]

Right now I do not have access to a computer only my phone. I use photopea to design the guernsey that I want and get AI to help put that onto a player for me to post. Below is my design I done then got the help. I do this as a way to get back into designing for fun.

 

[_Damo_]

Right now I do not have access to a computer only my phone. I use photopea to design the guernsey that I want and get AI to help put that onto a player for me to post. Below is my design I done then got the help. I do this as a way to get back into designing for fun.View attachment 2540486

Mate this is a strong enough design to hold up on its own.

 

[terrybull]

Ok, I feel the increased use of AI has to be addressed. This board prides itself on self made ideas, creations and portfolios, and watching users home in on their skills as their creations get better and better.

Yes, I allowed AI for those who have little to no experience with graphic design, have no access to the right programs, limited access to a PC or whatever to have a go at envisioning their ideas. But the previous poll is clear indication that AI generated images have that distinct vibe which is off-putting to some which is understandable, plus nowadays we double check images for detecting abnormalities that tell us if the image is real or not

I get it, no one's perfect and neither am I. I'm not outright banning or shaming the use of AI, but I want to bring to light the drawbacks of relying on it. I was lenient at first but the path this competition is heading down isn't a good one. Blink once and 4/5 entries are solely AI generated. It's disheartening seeing entries that look like it was the first thing ChatGPT/Grok spat out (not saying every AI entry is exactly that).

I propose future AI generated entries provide proof that some thought went into the design. Here's a good example from EagleOz's entry from Week 70. You can make a rough idea in Paint, on a piece of paper or whatever program and have AI make it presentable. Yes it still has that AI vibe, but at least in this example, some thought went into what the user wanted envisioned.

Even Damo's entry here's a great example. Prominent self made kit + design and a subtle use of AI placing the design on footy players giving it that in-game realism

I have mentioned many times that this board is always welcoming newcomers and are always eager to help you in whatever you wish to achieve. It really is a great feeling seeing users entries get more refined over the years and even get roles in the real world!

Take me for example:

Then (My first post/design here: August 2012)

Now (well, July 2025)

+ A North Melbourne Good Friday Appeal jumper to my name!

---

Consider this a new beginning for your designing journey!

Nothing is impossible! Have a look at the Template Thread and play around with what's on offer - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-template-and-resource-thread.1100538/

There are no dumb questions, we all have to start somewhere, ask away! - https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/question-and-answer-thread.691310/
​

---

To summarize, you can still use AI, but keep in mind, it's not looked at favourably depending on how you use it, and some thought and effort put into entries is the best way forward to prevent further debates​

I agree thought and effort should be used when doing designs with AI.
Same for music - where the melody and lyrics are written by one self.

It’s a way for songwriters that are not good singers or musicians to be able to release their music as they couldn’t before as the costs would be to high.

As for designs it’s fun to see the result that one had in one’s mind.

But if you turn things around, what about a good singer with great production skills and a bit of wealth but couldn’t write a song in his life just makes AI write it and release it as 100% own?

Or someone is great at drawing but has no imagination does the same?

Hopefully honesty will win out in the end.

 

[Mozzie_Squad]

All fair points - got a bit carried away with this one as I was playing around with two different colour schemes. I’m on a work laptop so limited in the applications I can use. Had the template & design in mind - just used the bot to help with the finished product. In other words I’m not just putting into the chat ‘generate a jumper for [insert scanario here]’ - I do enough of that for kicks as is. Understand this probably won’t win anything but hope adds a bit of value (taking on board above feedback). Cheers