Discussion AFL Teams ranked by most unique home jumper design

[jpmelb7]

I have ranked each AFL teams home jumper based purely on design uniqueness. The more teams that have same/similar design makes a clubs design less unique. This is purely about each teams design not their colours.


1. Sydney Swans - Opera House silhouette is iconic & directly links Swans with their adopted home. Their original vee design would've had them ranked much lower.

2. West Coast - Only team with wings. Ranked below Sydney due to Brisbane having animal also.

3. St.Kilda - Only team with three panels although controversialy could've been ranked bottom 4 as not far off vertical stripes design.

Yoke with monogram (2 Teams)

4. Brisbane Lions - Unique design based off Fitzroy jumper. Fitzroy first wore monogram design in 1940.

5. GWS Giants - Current design adopted 2021.

Sash (2 Teams)

6. Essendon - Have worn sash design since 1877.

7. Richmond - Adopted current sash design 1914.

Monograms/singular colour (2 teams)

8. Carlton - Would've ranked higher as only team with single colour & monogram before GC adopted singular red with monogram albeit almost invisible.

9. Gold Coast - Adopted current design 2025.

Chevrons/Vee (ranked higher than hoops due to all 3 teams having variant designs)

10. Melbourne - Vee yoke introduced in 1933.

11. Port Adelaide - Adopted current design in 2010.

12. Fremantle - Adopted current design in 2011.

Hoops (ranked higher than vertical stripes teams due to all 3 teams having slightly variant designs)

13. Geelong - Have worn hoops since 1876

14. Bulldogs - Returned to current hoop design 2012.

15. Adelaide - Worn hoops since entered league in 1991.

Vertical Stripes (3 teams)

16. North Melbourne - Wore vertical stripes first in VFA 1886.

17. Collingwood - Worn vertical stripes since club formation in 1892.

18. Hawthorn - Last of three teams to adopt vertical stripes in 1950

 

[Heardy_101]

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[Freo16]

I have ranked each AFL teams home jumper based purely on design uniqueness. The more teams that have same/similar design makes a clubs design less unique. This is purely about each teams design not their colours.


1. Sydney Swans - Opera House silhouette is iconic & directly links Swans with their adopted home. Their original vee design would've had them ranked much lower.

2. West Coast - Only team with wings. Ranked below Sydney due to Brisbane having animal also.

3. St.Kilda - Only team with three panels although controversialy could've been ranked bottom 4 as not far off vertical stripes design.

Yoke with monogram (2 Teams)

4. Brisbane Lions - Unique design based off Fitzroy jumper. Fitzroy first wore monogram design in 1940.

5. GWS Giants - Current design adopted 2021.

Sash (2 Teams)

6. Essendon - Have worn sash design since 1877.

7. Richmond - Adopted current sash design 1914.

Monograms/singular colour (2 teams)

8. Carlton - Would've ranked higher as only team with single colour & monogram before GC adopted singular red with monogram albeit almost invisible.

9. Gold Coast - Adopted current design 2025.

Chevrons/Vee (ranked higher than hoops due to all 3 teams having variant designs)

10. Melbourne - Vee yoke introduced in 1933.

11. Port Adelaide - Adopted current design in 2010.

12. Fremantle - Adopted current design in 2011.

Hoops (ranked higher than vertical stripes teams due to all 3 teams having slightly variant designs)

13. Geelong - Have worn hoops since 1876

14. Bulldogs - Returned to current hoop design 2012.

15. Adelaide - Worn hoops since entered league in 1991.

Vertical Stripes (3 teams)

16. North Melbourne - Wore vertical stripes first in VFA 1886.

17. Collingwood - Worn vertical stripes since club formation in 1892.

18. Hawthorn - Last of three teams to adopt vertical stripes in 1950

I agree with a lot of this.
Personally my ranking would be:

1 - Sydney
2 - West Coast
(The most unique designs where the team identity is incorporated into the design)

=3 - Brisbane
=3 - Carlton
=3 - Gold Coast (if you could actually see the design)
4 - GWS (they’re old design was more unique)
(Unique logos/monograms on otherwise basic designs)

=5 - Fremantle
=5 - Port Adelaide
=5 - Melbourne
(V type designs that are at least unique from each other but otherwise quite basic)

6 - St Kilda
(Only team with a tri-panel but nothing unique about what is essentially a play on vertical stripes)

=7 - Adelaide
=7 - Bulldogs
=7 - Geelong
(Basic hoop designs that are again unique from each other but are still generic)

=8 - Collingwood
=8 - North Melbourne
=8 - Hawthorn
(Three teams with basically the same jumper, different short/guernsey combos make it at least a little different)

=9 - Essendon
=9 - Richmond
(Two teams with the same jumper, one different colour doesn’t really make it unique)

Really, every team from Fremantle down has a basic jumper that doesn’t have anything unique or anything that identifies the teams identity within the design.

 

[Andonis1997]

I'd also take into consideration the teams that had the designs first, but I'd go how unique the colours are, as well as how unique the designs are in sport as a whole. Adelaide for example - sure, hoops aren't revolutionary, and Geelong had them first. But in the grand scheme of things, unique colours and design that you wouldn't see anywhere else if it wasn't for the Crows.

 

[jpmelb7]

I'd also take into consideration the teams that had the designs first, but I'd go how unique the colours are, as well as how unique the designs are in sport as a whole. Adelaide for example - sure, hoops aren't revolutionary, and Geelong had them first. But in the grand scheme of things, unique colours and design that you wouldn't see anywhere else if it wasn't for the Crows.

Fair point. If do include team colours then Hawks, Lions, Freo, Port & Giants would all rank higher due to all having a colour no other team has.

 

[Boyohboywowwee]

The giants home is by far number 18.

Swans elite
Brisbane elite

 

[Supercheapgiants]

The giants home is by far number 18.

Swans elite
Brisbane elite

GWS and Brisbane ultimately have the same design no?

 

[Spanna_]

Wonder where Fremantle would sit on this list if they still wore the anchor design.

 

[Andonis1997]

Wonder where Fremantle would sit on this list if they still wore the anchor design.

With the green and red? #1 by a country mile.

With just purple and white? #1 by a country mile.

 

[jumperfan]

Personally I consider the 3 "hoop" designs you have listed as separate.

Geelong have the only "true" hoops design in the league - I'd also consider clubs like Aspley and Sydney Uni to be in this category.

I've always referred to the Bulldogs' design as "bands" - not sure why I differentiate them from hoops but they feel different to me.

Adelaide are kind of a weird one - sort of a combo of the other two listed above but they feel distinct enough to me to be considered a separate design. Not sure what you'd call it though.

I'd also have Melbourne listed separately to the two vee/chevron clubs.

 

[jpmelb7]

Wonder where Fremantle would sit on this list if they still wore the anchor design.

Probably 2nd behind Swans as the anchor directly associates them with their Dockers nickname. No.1 if include colours as has been suggested, being the only team to wear purple.

 

[justlookingaround]

Hmm, is it right to lump chevrons in with vees ? Melbourne can arguably fit into the yoke category too

 

[jumperfan]

Hmm, is it right to lump chevrons in with vees ? Melbourne can arguably fit into the yoke category too

Melbourne are definitely a yoke, not a vee jumper.

I do like having the chevrons separate from the vees but where do you draw the line between the two? I've been working on a map of defunct local footy clubs and part of that has involved describing their jumpers. There's been a few occasions where I'm not sure whether to classify an element as a vee or a chevron. Can't think of any examples off the top of my head but I'll try and have a look.

 

[lionbear]

I have ranked each AFL teams home jumper based purely on design uniqueness. The more teams that have same/similar design makes a clubs design less unique. This is purely about each teams design not their colours.


1. Sydney Swans - Opera House silhouette is iconic & directly links Swans with their adopted home. Their original vee design would've had them ranked much lower.

2. West Coast - Only team with wings. Ranked below Sydney due to Brisbane having animal also.

3. St.Kilda - Only team with three panels although controversialy could've been ranked bottom 4 as not far off vertical stripes design.

Yoke with monogram (2 Teams)

4. Brisbane Lions - Unique design based off Fitzroy jumper. Fitzroy first wore monogram design in 1940.

5. GWS Giants - Current design adopted 2021.

Sash (2 Teams)

6. Essendon - Have worn sash design since 1877.

7. Richmond - Adopted current sash design 1914.

Monograms/singular colour (2 teams)

8. Carlton - Would've ranked higher as only team with single colour & monogram before GC adopted singular red with monogram albeit almost invisible.

9. Gold Coast - Adopted current design 2025.

Chevrons/Vee (ranked higher than hoops due to all 3 teams having variant designs)

10. Melbourne - Vee yoke introduced in 1933.

11. Port Adelaide - Adopted current design in 2010.

12. Fremantle - Adopted current design in 2011.

Hoops (ranked higher than vertical stripes teams due to all 3 teams having slightly variant designs)

13. Geelong - Have worn hoops since 1876

14. Bulldogs - Returned to current hoop design 2012.

15. Adelaide - Worn hoops since entered league in 1991.

Vertical Stripes (3 teams)

16. North Melbourne - Wore vertical stripes first in VFA 1886.

17. Collingwood - Worn vertical stripes since club formation in 1892.

18. Hawthorn - Last of three teams to adopt vertical stripes in 1950

Personally I would say Brisbane Carlton, Gold Goast and GWS are all ther one group.

You seperate them, But then group Melbourne, Port and Freo?