Portfolio AFL '99 - Design Project

[Freight Train]

AFL '99

In a not-so-distant alternate reality, in a time not so long ago, it was the verge of the millennium for the Australian Football League...

Essentially, I will be going through sixteen AFL teams and designing their logos (based off the old AFL shield design) and designing their guernseys. Some clubs will retain their classic designs, whereas others will have differing designs. I will do my best to explain the designs used and try to paint a different picture on the league that could have been in 1999...

(Note: I'd like to give thanks to DiamondGuy- his entry into the Fitzroy Bulldogs competition inspired me to do this, so I created a new template with the one he used in mind, and am borrowing the idea of the sponsor logo above the AFL logo. Cheers dude, it was a massive inspiration!)

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[Freight Train]

First up... the Adelaide Crows!​

The twist: The hoops? Where are they? Well, in this instance, they never existed. When the SANFL created the Crows, they truly meant for them to be a state team- and as such the Crows ended up with a chevron design as similar to their State of Origin jumper- albeit with inverse colours. The away guernsey is based off a 1930's South Australian state jumper.

 

[Fizzler]

Subbed. Looking forward to more

 

[wmat4]

Love this idea. Can't wait to see them all

 

[rabbitoh21]

Intrigued

 

[Freight Train]

Next up... the Brisbane Bears!


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The twist: Merger no more. In 1996, the Fitzroy/Brisbane merger fell through at the eleventh hour- leaving Brisbane with their Bears. After a quick logo update, steering clear of the misleading koala-bear, they maintained the dark cerise/gold colour scheme and implemented a white away jumper. The gold was also changed to a more metallic colour following the switch to sublimated jumpers. Oh, what happened to Fitzroy? They still followed through with a merger, however it was with a team much closer to home...

 

[Dylan8]

I love the way you display the back of your jumpers, and will definitely consider stealing the idea when FIRA rolls around.

That logo is great. Is it your work? I love the set regardless and look forward to the rest of it, as long as you haven't dicked about with Port's entry to the league

 

[DiamondGuy]

Thanks for the shout out.

It's easy to forget these days, but in the late 90s when the manufacturer logo first started appearing on guernseys, the position was variable. I have a DVD of a Geelong game from 1998 where the adidas logo (which was a sew-on patch about 2cm square) moves around between different players.

The Puma logo as it appears in my Fitzroy-Footscray design actually did occur above the AFL logo in some cases. I think it was Hawthorn and St Kilda, but I'm not certain. Most of you probably already know all this, though.

I still prefer the manufacturer logo up near one shoulder or the other and not at the neck. For some reason, no manufacturers do that and the neck somehow became standard.

Looking forward to more designs.

 

[Freight Train]

I love the way you display the back of your jumpers, and will definitely consider stealing the idea when FIRA rolls around.

That logo is great. Is it your work? I love the set regardless and look forward to the rest of it, as long as you haven't dicked about with Port's entry to the league

The logo in this case isn't mine as I honestly couldn't be assed, as lazy as that sounds. I work as a graphic designer professionally, so this is a wind down for me. Although, the kangaroo in the Perth Boomers logo for my NAFL Reserves entry was my work.

I was going to stick with the Power as I love the teal design, but I'm probably going to pass on the original home guernsey. Not sure if I should incorporate the prison bars, what do you as a Port fan think?

Thanks for the shout out.

It's easy to forget these days, but in the late 90s when the manufacturer logo first started appearing on guernseys, the position was variable. I have a DVD of a Geelong game from 1998 where the adidas logo (which was a sew-on patch about 2cm square) moves around between different players.

The Puma logo as it appears in my Fitzroy-Footscray design actually did occur above the AFL logo in some cases. I think it was Hawthorn and St Kilda, but I'm not certain. Most of you probably already know all this, though.

I still prefer the manufacturer logo up near one shoulder or the other and not at the neck. For some reason, no manufacturers do that and the neck somehow became standard.

Looking forward to more designs.

No problem, man! Also just wanted to say as a long-time lurker, I remember you posting that St. Kilda logo. Absolutely amazing!

As for the manufacturer logo, I reckon it's a good placement above the AFL logo, I remember the Eagles training guernseys having the logo there.

 

[Dylan8]

The logo in this case isn't mine as I honestly couldn't be assed, as lazy as that sounds. I work as a graphic designer professionally, so this is a wind down for me. Although, the kangaroo in the Perth Boomers logo for my NAFL Reserves entry was my work.
I was going to stick with the Power as I love the teal design, but I'm probably going to pass on the original home guernsey. Not sure if I should incorporate the prison bars, what do you as a Port fan think?

Not a problem, it looked familiar.

Mine and most fans' take on the PBs is that they're pure or nothing. But I don't want to disrupt whatever creative thoughts you've got for it.

I've harboured thoughts of recreating Port Adelaide in the AFL from entry and always think away from Power. Terrible moniker as far as iconography goes.

 

[Matele]

Next up... the Brisbane Bears!

View attachment 183449
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The twist: Merger no more. In 1996, the Fitzroy/Brisbane merger fell through at the eleventh hour- leaving Brisbane with their Bears. After a quick logo update, steering clear of the misleading koala-bear, they maintained the dark cerise/gold colour scheme and implemented a white away jumper. The gold was also changed to a more metallic colour following the switch to sublimated jumpers. Oh, what happened to Fitzroy? They still followed through with a merger, however it was with a team much closer to home...

Love this.

Ive always been fascinated by the Bears. If there was one team I'd love to see on the park today, its a pure form of the Brisbane Bears.

 

[Freight Train]

Love this.

Ive always been fascinated by the Bears. If there was one team I'd love to see on the park today, its a pure form of the Brisbane Bears.

Absolutely agree with you there! I do wish Brisbane never had have merged with Fitzroy, but that's purely from a design perspective. Reason I didn't change the home guernsey is because you can't change perfection and honestly that cerise/maroon and gold vee is just beautiful and representative of Queensland.

The Brisbane Lions design has never really interested me, weirdly enough.

 

[Freight Train]

They are the old dark navy blues... the Carlton Blues


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The twist: Now, personally, I was tempted to follow through with a design based off a potential merger with either the Kangaroos or Saints (both nearly happened in the 90s) or Fitzroy given they are geographically next to each other, but I decided due to their sheer dominance through the 90's, the best respect I could give them was to leave it be. The home design is of course the same, how can you change the jumper that is their image- the navy blues. The away jumper was designed for clashes with teams with navy/black bases, but the navy line through the middle represents them being navy to the core.

 

[HTT]

They are the old dark navy blues... the Carlton Blues

View attachment 183481
​

The twist: Now, personally, I was tempted to follow through with a design based off a potential merger with either the Kangaroos or Saints (both nearly happened in the 90s) or Fitzroy given they are geographically next to each other, but I decided due to their sheer dominance through the 90's, the best respect I could give them was to leave it be. The home design is of course the same, how can you change the jumper that is their image- the navy blues. The away jumper was designed for clashes with teams with navy/black bases, but the navy line through the middle represents them being navy to the core.

That clash is perfection. Send it in to Carlton.

 

[rEALdEAL86]

If the timeline was 99' like you suggest then teams wouldn't really have a white clash strip, it would just be an away/alternate guernsey

 

[NM_Mitchell]

They are the old dark navy blues... the Carlton Blues

View attachment 183481
​

The twist: Now, personally, I was tempted to follow through with a design based off a potential merger with either the Kangaroos or Saints (both nearly happened in the 90s) or Fitzroy given they are geographically next to each other, but I decided due to their sheer dominance through the 90's, the best respect I could give them was to leave it be. The home design is of course the same, how can you change the jumper that is their image- the navy blues. The away jumper was designed for clashes with teams with navy/black bases, but the navy line through the middle represents them being navy to the core.

haha, yeah, "merger"

 

[Freight Train]

If the timeline was 99' like you suggest then teams wouldn't really have a white clash strip, it would just be an away/alternate guernsey

Not all teams will have a white guernsey. They are just an alternate guernsey in case of a direct clash.

Patience, young grasshopper...

haha, yeah, "merger"

Yeah, I didn't really feel it tbh. Could only see them merging with Fitzroy but what would be the point seeing as the 90s were a dominant era for both Carlton and the Roos?

 

[fumbler]

Welcome back Da Bears

 

[Freight Train]

Next up is the good ol'... Collingwood Magpies!


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The twist: Once again, Collingwood is one of those clubs whose guernseys you shouldn't really mess with. (Are you listening, Eddie?) So for their home guernsey, they will wear an all-white ensemble with three black stripes, with white cuffs and a collar to really set the guernsey out as white. The away is a simplified white-on-black striped guernsey with two stripes instead of three.

 

[Freight Train]

Flying in next... the Essendon Bombers!


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The twist: An away guernsey?! What?! No! It can't be! Obviously you can't really do much with the home guernsey, but the powers that be decided that it was time to integrate a jumper to wear away from home in case of a clash. Traditional design, traditional colours and the traditional monogram to keep the traditionalists at bay.

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[StevieJ83]

I got excited and thought you may have been re-skinning this;

 

[Freight Train]

Hailing from the Western Suburbs... the Footscray Bulldogs!


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The twist: Firstly, the "Western" moniker change never occured- "Forever Footscray" became the club's tagline following suggestions of a name change. The home jumper remains relatively the same, albeit minus the cartoon bulldog. The away guernsey, only to be used against teams with blue jumpers, is a throwback to pre-season jumpers of yesteryear, whilst maintaining the club's identity. Number panels have been added to the reverse of the jumpers in place of the hoops reaching around the whole jumper.

 

[Stewart2Austin Reborn]

I get a mild Saints vibe from the away.

Good job all up though. Very neat portfolio.

 

[Freight Train]

I get a mild Saints vibe from the away.

Good job all up though. Very neat portfolio.

Hmmm, I feel that, but I will give away that the Saints might be moving in a different direction...

 

[Ahern2Boof]

That Essendon clash is a work of art. Props to you, sir.