alternative strips - where are they?

G

Guest

Guest
Thread starter #1
I may be just imagining this but I'm sure the AFL said last year they would encourage teams to adopt alternative strips.

So far I've seen Fremantle and Collingwood with alternative strips that look almost identical to their normal uniforms.

Looks like were going to have to put up with another season of struggling to tell one team from the other on the field. When is the AFL going to realize that in a game such as aussie rules it is crucial that the two teams clash to make the game easier to follow.

Everybody who watched the grand final last year realizes how ridiculous this situation is, but I wonder how long it will be before the AFL wakes up and joins the rest of the world in doing what should have been done a long time ago.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Phil Doyle

All Australian
Joined
Jan 31, 2001
Posts
730
Likes
1
Location
Rabbit Flat
AFL Club
GWS
Other Teams
Cooma Cats
#2
I see your point.
Apart from the fact that it's totally ludicrous it's entirely valid.
Personally I would like to see the Premiers run around in Clown suits.
This would sort out who really wants to be a premier, and the big funny boots would act as a handicap to assist clubs like Freemantle, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, etc.
Mind you, it's a good thing the AFL isn't motivated by the merchandise revenue that is a spin-off from clubs introducing alternative strips. It's a good thing because if they were then everone would reckon that the AFL places the dollar above tradition, and the AFL assures us they'd never do that, don't they?

Phil

------------------
Remonstrating with the goal umpire
 

Mobbs

A Large Portion, Yes
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Posts
39,540
Likes
17,725
Location
www.footypedia.com/qooty
Other Teams
Fitzroy FC
Moderator #3
I would prefer not to see any further changes, as it to the GUERNSEYS.

A single, generally plain, GUERNSEY, is traditional, and indicative of the code itself.



------------------
Hallowed be thy Roy
 

Mudholian

Club Legend
Joined
Jan 15, 2001
Posts
2,149
Likes
21
Location
The Monkey House Port Adelaide
#5
As a Port supporter I'd like to see us being able to wear our CLub's traditional designs instead of being dictated to by the AFL with demands that some symbols must remain SANFL only. Also I hate the white shorts rule. Home club should wear their first colours and the others change.
Mud
 

Grave Danger

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Posts
16,425
Likes
24,540
Location
West Perth
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Woomera Centrals, Jazza
#6
Originally posted by Mudholian:
As a Port supporter I'd like to see us being able to wear our CLub's traditional designs instead of being dictated to by the AFL with demands that some symbols must remain SANFL only. Also I hate the white shorts rule. Home club should wear their first colours and the others change.
Mud
Hear hear. The 'prison bar' design is pure port Adelaide. If we can't have just black and white in the AFL then a teal yoke would look alright.
 

gocatsgo

Club Legend
Joined
Apr 30, 2000
Posts
1,056
Likes
7
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Reading
#7
Most clubs have alternate strips already don't they, and anyway, Happy Hawker, I'm sure you'd prefer to not see that Blue Diamond thing again wouldn't you? hehehehe

West Coast have that Oranger, Pink, Puce, god knows what else colour thing.

Freo and Collingwood have unveiled one for this season.

The Cats have a decent away strip after that Horrid Adidas inspired thing a few years back

Hawthorn have been known to wear different ones at times as have North, Port have a different one and StKilda have an alternate home strip, and Melbourne and Richmond have an Ansett Cup strip.

Come to think of it only Carlton and Essendon don't have an alternate strip, why is this so? The so-called powers of the game don't want to cash in on more Marketing dollars huh?

Sydney and Brisbane have only the one, but they don't clash with anyone anyway
 
C

Carlos

Guest
Thread starter #8
Alternative strip-isn't that something that doesn't look similiar to one they already have?Say a change of colours or something that looks differant to original.I bet in 10 years time every team will have a proper alternative strip.
 

AlfAndrews

Club Legend
Joined
Oct 5, 2000
Posts
1,578
Likes
4
Location
Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Other Teams
COLLINGWOOD
#9
Excellent comments, Happy Hawker and Carlos. You are both spot on. But I hope it doesn't take another 10 years for them to get it right!!!

It's hard to believe the Game has gone on this long without one of those shit-for-brains at the League really taking charge on this and doing this simple but extremely effective measure to improve the Game as a spectacle.

There should always be two completely different and contrasting sets of guernseys out on the field, so that there is no room for confusion on the part of spectators, players and umpires as to which team is which. And if this means the away team wearing a totally different set of colours to their official club colours, then so be it.

People will grizzle as they usually do. But they'll accept it. And in time they'll be grateful for the change. It's one case where a step away from tradition would actually improve the Game as a spectacle.

Normally I've very old-fashioned and traditional about matters pertaining to footy ... but this is one area that really NEEDS to change.

------------------
**floreat pica**
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2001
Posts
5,219
Likes
48
Location
Arrogant Prick
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Port Adelaide
#10
I'm watching the Pies v Saints and it's really hard to distinguish the teams from behind.
All teams should have an alternate/away guernsey which is completely different from the team they are playing.
Perhaps all away jumpers could be based in a colour like yellow with the original team colours incorporated on them somewhere. It may sound far fetched now, but the time will come when we follow soccer's lead.

------------------
If ya smell what Santos is cooking!!
 

Red Rover

Senior List
Joined
Feb 12, 2001
Posts
184
Likes
0
Location
Melbourne
#11
I agree with Santos, it's just a matter of time before the AFL wakes up and realises that it needs to follow soccer's lead and force clubs to come up with a second strip which is completely different from their original uniform.

Traditionalists only need to look at English soccer where a club like Manchester United, notoriously known as 'The Red Devils' because of their traditional red shirts, often wear white, black, blue, or whatever doesn't clash with their rivals. Despite this, the tradition of their red shirt is as strong as ever. It's now just an extra advantage of a home fixture - you get to wear your colours.

The thought of Collingwood or Carlton wearing red or yellow on a regular basis may seem a bit much, but in time it will probably make teams appreciate their original guernseys more and enjoy a home game that little bit more.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

G

Guest

Guest
Thread starter #13
As Santos so rightly stated, the game last night between Collingwood and St.Kilda was a perfect example. St.Kildas colours were black white and red with collingwoods black white and with the emirates logo on the back red also. Making it difficult to say the least to tell at an instant the two teams apart.

If its good enough for soccer teams all over the world to play in alternate strips then its good enough for lil' old aussie rules.
 

Mobbs

A Large Portion, Yes
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Posts
39,540
Likes
17,725
Location
www.footypedia.com/qooty
Other Teams
Fitzroy FC
Moderator #14
I never had any trouble distinguishing teams back when the Roys were playing ... and that's with me being maggotted for most matches.

The game of aussie rules, for so long the supreme commander of all ball sports, has been brought back to the field by commercialism and corporatism. The traditional playing strips is one of the few elements that still lifts it above other codes.

Seems as though fans are only interested in putting their needs before the pinnacle of clubtriotism. Selfish mongrels!

But if you can't see the difference between one side and another ... well, you must be umperialist


------------------
Hallowed be thy Roy
 

AlfAndrews

Club Legend
Joined
Oct 5, 2000
Posts
1,578
Likes
4
Location
Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Other Teams
COLLINGWOOD
#16
Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer:
... The traditional playing strips is one of the few elements that still lifts it above other codes ...
What "traditional playing strips"? There is no such thing. The corporates took over club guernseys in 1976 when they started putting bloody advertising logos on jumpers. Since then most clubs have changed their jumper designs anyway. If you look at old photos of the early days of the V.F.L. you will notice that most club's jumpers were completely different to now.

This issue is not about tradition. It's about common sense. It's about the Game as a spectacle. Clubs keep coming up with new jumper designs in order to sell merchandise. They have already screwed tradition. Forget tradition. It doesn't exist any more.

What I and a lot of others are arguing is that, if you're going to come up with new jumper designs, then at least come up with designs that make it easier to tell the teams apart, not harder.

It's getting to the point where the only thing you'll have to distinguish the teams will be their different sponsor's logos. And when it gets to that point, you might as well go the whole hog and name the clubs after corporations. Won't that be nice?

**may Emirates prosper**
 

Mobbs

A Large Portion, Yes
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Posts
39,540
Likes
17,725
Location
www.footypedia.com/qooty
Other Teams
Fitzroy FC
Moderator #17
If you never stop changing you'll never have a tradition, Alf. Tradition must be developed.

Guernsey changes ARE corporate-driven. That's what needs to be stopped. I agree that if a change does happen, then you may as well get some use out of it. But I get knifed one day, hopefully that will help stop clotting. For cryin' out loud.

Avoid it altogether, then you haven't entirely failed.

A guernsey may as well be a corporate logo, it's a change driven by the dollar.

Finally, it seems that you put the spectacle above the religion. Far be it from me to make clear my disdain at that.

------------------
Hallowed be thy Roy
 

AlfAndrews

Club Legend
Joined
Oct 5, 2000
Posts
1,578
Likes
4
Location
Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Other Teams
COLLINGWOOD
#18
Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer:
If you never stop changing you'll never have a tradition, Alf. Tradition must be developed ... But I get knifed one day, hopefully that will help stop clotting. For cryin' out loud ... Finally, it seems that you put the spectacle above the religion.
Maybe, for me, the spectacle IS the religion. (That's probably not strictly true. But the spectacle is certainly a big part of the religion)

As for developing tradition, well, if the AFL decided that from now on all "away" teams would wear canary yellow, and they stuck by this rule for the next hundred years or so, I think it would be fair to say that having "away" teams in canary yellow would become "traditional". Don't you think?

As for the comment about getting knifed ... er, excuse me, but I haven't the foggiest idea what you mean. I'm going to have to do a Pauline Hanson on you ...

Please explain.



------------------
**floreat pica**
 

Grave Danger

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Posts
16,425
Likes
24,540
Location
West Perth
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Woomera Centrals, Jazza
#19
Originally posted by Joel:
Guys, we have got along quite nicely for years now trying to differentiate between teams. There isn't anything making it anymore harder now!
Indeed. You don't get the mud heaps of the past and many games are played under floodlights, so it's never been easier to see who's who.

Glad to see that Port got to wear their black shorts today and the visitors the white. That's how it should be.
 

Mobbs

A Large Portion, Yes
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Posts
39,540
Likes
17,725
Location
www.footypedia.com/qooty
Other Teams
Fitzroy FC
Moderator #20
Just stating that getting a small advantage out of a large disadvantage is not worth its salt for me.

Small advantage - easier to tell teams apart.
Large disadvantage - Being knifed.

Small advantage - combatting clotting.
Large disadvantage - losing traditional guernseys.

I DO agree that the guernseys are much different to how they started already, and they aren't THE traditional ones. But I argue that they are currently MORE traditional than what a new change would bring. I just wish they'd leave some of these things alone for once.

I suppose two of my major beefs are :
a) The guernseys will lose individuality from other codes. A fear, not a certainty, but a well-founded fear.
b) I identify with the guernseys. They've been around (generally) throughout my lifetime. On a personal perspective, that one of the reasons I view them as traditional and don't wish for them to change much more.

I woldn't like a bunch of canary yellow guernseys because they wouldn't be what the guernseys were 'back when I knew them'.


------------------
Hallowed be thy Roy
 

AlfAndrews

Club Legend
Joined
Oct 5, 2000
Posts
1,578
Likes
4
Location
Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Other Teams
COLLINGWOOD
#21
Well, thanks for explaining that ... sort of.

But, I guess I would argue that being able to tell the teams apart is actually a very big advantage, not a small one. And, although I'm not a medical person, I think clotting can actually be quite a serious problem, even fatal in some instances.

I think, by your own admission, "tradition" is a very subjective thing. It really comes down to what you're used to.

I suppose, in my case, this obsession with wanting to be able to tell the teams apart comes from the fact that as I get older my eyesight is deteriorating.

I think I've just set myself up for a major attack from those good Catholics who equate poor eyesight with an overindulgence in auto-eroticism ... but who gives a toss


As the jumpers get more complicated, and more of a fashion statement, they are getting harder to tell apart from a distance. There are also more teams in the competition now, which makes colour clashes even more mathematically likely. For those who watch most of their footy on TV it's not such a problem, but those of us who go to the games are finding it harder and harder to tell teams apart when the play is on the opposite side of the ground.

So spare a thought for us poor old wankers, please.

------------------
**floreat pica**
 

Mobbs

A Large Portion, Yes
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Posts
39,540
Likes
17,725
Location
www.footypedia.com/qooty
Other Teams
Fitzroy FC
Moderator #22
Onyl calling team identification a small factor when compared to tradition preservation. Agreed re clotting, that was what I meant - combatting clotting, not encouraging it.

I agree about "tradition" being subjective. Point taken.

Don't worry, my eyesight's been up the creek for fifteen years.

I suppose in hindsight I just feel threatened by support for changing guernseys to shunt in line with other codes.


------------------
Hallowed be thy Roy
 
Top Bottom