Portfolio AFL Blueprint 2023: A National League for the Future

[Red Crow]

The Brisbane Lions maintained a similar uniform set to previous years. Differences include pairing the 'Fitzroy-style' guernsey with its traditional blue shorts, and white being removed from the Bears-inspired jumper. A higher yoke also features across all three jumpers, closer matching the style of the late-era Fitzroy jumpers.







For their AFL2 uniforms, the club opted for a wide V in current club colours, reminiscent of the last of the Brisbane Bears jumpers.

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[Red Crow]

New boys Canberra engaged in a series of community consultations with local fans to determine the identity of the club as it enters the AFL in 2023. Four nicknames were presented for consideration - Capitals, Emus, Wombats and Cockatoos, with the latter coming out on top. The Gang-Gang Cockatoo is the territorial faunal symbol for the ACT, but the mascot was changed to a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo to better fit in with the winning colours for the team, being the classic ACT colours of blue and gold with added white.







The club went in two different directions for their AFL2 designs. The narrow hoops from the primary design have been manipulated into an abstract interpretation of Canberra's Parliament House for the colour uniform, while the white features a large club logo, sure to be popular with young fans.

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[Red Crow]

Collingwood have made a return to their classic white based jumper as their primary uniform. The black stripes were widened to give an evenly striped design all the way around the jumper. The AFL's new uniform policy allows for the jumper to be paired with the traditional black shorts in approximately half of their home games, as well as a number of away games. The alternate is similar to recent home jumpers, but with slightly thinner stripes to make the whole uniform darker.







The AFL2 designs were a source of angst for Collingwood, having almost never deviated from stripes in the past. They briefly flirted with the idea of recreating the 1982 Escort Cup jumper worn against Swan Districts, but after much haggling a design featuring narrow pinstripes fading away behind a central magpie emblem on either a black or white base was put forward, and ultimately accepted by the AFL.

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[SFgiant]

But what about the 12,000 Saint Kilda fans?!

Hmm, never seen that number before..
source?
_Damo_, B. (2019). _Damo_’s Ass. 1(66), pp.1.
Ahh ok

 

[hitthepost]

I really hope as this thread grows we see less and less "what about my team" posts. When I get notified that there's a post here it's such an anticlimax.

 

[Red Crow]

It was pretty much a case of "Same Old" Essendon in 2023. The one noticeable difference was a return to the pre-WW1 thin sash, an attempt from the club to create a further point of difference in their jumper from Richmond. The alternate was now paired with red shorts in all games.







A cheeky red diagonal geometric pattern evoked the famous red sash on both of the Bombers' AFL2 uniforms, with the bomber logo featuring prominently.

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[Red Crow]

Status quo for Fremantle, their traditional chevron design in use since 2011 remaining a popular design among fans.







Simplicity the key for the Dockers' AFL2 set, with a large logo on the front and a subtle nod to the chevrons across the shoulders.

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[Red Crow]

Despite flirting with a move to a navy-base as a primary kit, Geelong have stuck with tradition, after an assurance from the AFL that they could wear their preferred navy shorts in half of their home games. Narrow white hoops on the alternate help to give the kit a dominant navy look.







The snarling cat face dominates Geelong's AFL2 colour kit, aimed predominantly at appealing to younger fans. The white features some subtle grey hoops, which the club somehow managed to slip past AFL scrutiny.

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[Red Crow]

By far the biggest change for any existing club heading into 2023 is the complete re-brand of Gold Coast. Off the back of their maiden finals appearance in 2022, the Suns are looking to move forward into a new era with a new colour scheme, logo and uniform. The bright red so synonymous with the club in its formative years has been ditched, with a sky blue - unique in the AFL - adopted alongside a sandy gold and white. The new logo features a Sun behind the iconic waves of the Gold Coast beaches, while the primary guernsey design depicts the Sun above the sand and surf.






While the Suns were keen to move forward with a new look, they took the opportunity with their AFL2 uniforms to pay homage to their inaugural AFL jumper.

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[Red Crow]

Back to the Eighties for Hawthorn, who returned to the all-gold back and socks of the Hawks' most successful era. The jumper is paired with white shorts in a number of home games to give an overall lighter appearance. Wider stripes are a feature of the Hawks' primary jumper, in a similar fashion to Collingwood. The alternate is a 'fauxback' cross of two old designs.







The club logo features prominently in both of the Hawks' AFL2 kits, one as a traditional design, and one as a child-friendly design.

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[hitthepost]

Back to the Eighties for Hawthorn, who returned to the all-gold back and socks of the Hawks' most successful era. The jumper is paired with white shorts in a number of home games to give an overall lighter appearance. Wider stripes are a feature of the Hawks' primary jumper, in a similar fashion to Collingwood. The alternate is a 'fauxback' cross of two old designs.

View attachment 742984

View attachment 742985



The club logo features prominently in both of the Hawks' AFL2 kits, one as a traditional design, and one as a child-friendly design.

View attachment 742986​

Does the seniors' alternate only get used against GC just so it gets use?

 

[Red Crow]

People power restored the iconic Prison Bars to the primary uniform of Port Adelaide. Off the back of its use as a Showdown jumper since 2020, the groundswell from fans to see it re-introduced as the permanent jumper for Port grew enormously. Despite initial opposition from Collingwood, its regular use at AFL level saw the general public be able to distinguish the two distinct designs of each club, and Collingwood's concerns over brand dilution were proven unfounded. An inverse with a teal yoke is the main alternate jumper, while an all-teal version is used solely in away games against Collingwood, as something of a goodwill gesture. To avoid a clash, Port agreed to wear white shorts with the primary jumper in home Showdowns, allowing both clubs to wear their traditional jumpers in such a fierce rivalry.







While the Prison Bars were a popular choice for the seniors, the existing double-vee guernseys used since 2010 were still very popular with much of the fanbase. As such, it was an easy choice to be retained as the clubs AFL2 uniforms.

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[Red Crow]

Does the seniors' alternate only get used against GC just so it gets use?

Yes and no. When I put the two home jumpers side by side, while not a clash as such, I just didn't feel it was a huge contrast. The all brown would look much better.

 

[Red Crow]

Richmond chose to align both of their jumpers to the same design, by dropping the sash on the back of the primary jumper. This also helped to further differentiate their design from Essendon. The yellow was also changed to a more traditional shade, becoming less flouro.






The Tigers were one club who took the AFL's suggestion of more experimental jumpers to the extreme with their reserves kits. The colour features a bold yellow and black tiger pattern, angled on the front in such a way as to evoke the famous sash. The white features the same pattern in a subtle grey as the backdrop to their full bodied Tiger across the jumper.

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[Red Crow]

Sydney have largely retained their iconic identity, but have switched the jumpers to bring the majority white back as their primary uniform. The alternate has added red sidepanels to decrease the amount of white on the front.







The Swans dipped into their back catalogue to find some traditional designs for their AFL2 kits, re-creating versions of the first two jumpers used by South Melbourne, including the hoop jumper which was a very popular one-off kit used back in 2011.

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[Red Crow]

Debate raged for the inclusion of Tasmania - to use or not to use the iconic "Tassie T" state of origin jumper. Ultimately, it was felt that appropriating a state jumper for a club that will field non-Tasmanian players may not be the best course of action. Instead, a new jumper in a traditional style that evoked the classic design was preferred. Featuring a soft vee-yoke with the map of Tassie at the point, the new jumper set brings the proud colours and style of Tasmania into a new era.







Featuring the Devil logo front and centre, the AFL2 set was based on a version of the clubs nab League clash jumper.

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[Rabman]

With the Tasmanian Guernsey, wouldn’t mind a maroon sash design with yellow outline and dominant green background for the home kit. Away kit inverted with green sash and maroon dominant background.

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

"National league" leaves out NT. Utter trash. Bad work. Feel bad.

Nah good stuff, reckon the GC logo shits all over the current one.

 

[Red Crow]

"National league" leaves out NT. Utter trash. Bad work. Feel bad.

Nah good stuff, reckon the GC logo s**ts all over the current one.

I had NT in originally, but to fit into my preferred 16-team structure, that would mean a fifth Victorian team had to go, and I wasn't overly keen on that. I fell back on the position that it would be even harder for NT to support its own team than Tasmania and left them out. Rest assured I did feel bad about it.

 

[Red Crow]

Only very minor changes for West Coast, who were still enjoying the fruits of their re-brand in 2018. The wing tips on the back are now more in line with the original design, angling down sooner as to not be covered by the sponsors logo. The Eagles choose one home game per year against a suitable opposition to wear their alternate with royal shorts, as a nod to their inaugural uniform.







The Eagles came up with a concept for their reserves uniforms of "earning your wings". To demonstrate this, a geometric pattern starting from the shoulders fades away before the full wing can be formed. The iconic "Eagles" wordmark from early West Coast jumpers is also restored on the AFL2 kits.

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[Red Crow]

Uniformity and brand recognition is the name of the game for the now re-branded West Sydney. With Canberra getting their own team, the Giants felt it important to create a greater synergy with Sydney's west. The previously wordy name was changed to remove the temptation for fans and media to refer to the club simply by an acronym, and to give their location more prominence. The now iconic 'big G' design in use since their very first game was retained, but was now replicated in three different colourways.







A "fauxback" style jumper was produced for the clubs AFL2 kits, with the old Team GWS jumper from the club's embryonic days re-purposed using the clubs current colours and logo.

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[Red Crow]

Rounding out the new league is the Western Bulldogs. Only minor changes for the Dogs, including a return to higher hoops and the addition of blue cuffs to the alternate uniform.







Many Dogs fans still had a soft spot for the "colour TV"-era hoops, so the club found a way to use that style for both of their AFL2 kits. The full bodied Bulldog features in front of the hoops on the colour uniform, while the white is dominated by the snarling bulldog from the club logo.

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[hitthepost]

Rounding out the new league is the Western Bulldogs. Only minor changes for the Dogs, including a return to higher hoops and the addition of blue cuffs to the alternate uniform.

View attachment 746454

View attachment 746455



Many Dogs fans still had a soft spot for the "colour TV"-era hoops, so the club found a way to use that style for both of their AFL2 kits. The full bodied Bulldog features in front of the hoops on the colour uniform, while the white is dominated by the snarling bulldog from the club logo.

View attachment 746456​

Sadly no red kit and no option to wear white shorts with the home jumper. But I love it all.

 

[Red Crow]

Sadly no red kit and no option to wear white shorts with the home jumper. But I love it all.

Felt neither were really needed. The Dogs are one team who I do enjoy seeing the home jumper with white shorts, but a major point of the project was to eliminate "home with white shorts" for away games.

 

[hitthepost]

Felt neither were really needed. The Dogs are one team who I do enjoy seeing the home jumper with white shorts, but a major point of the project was to eliminate "home with white shorts" for away games.

Can they wear home with white shorts in home games? Coz it's so sexy. Perhaps against teams in full black.