Hair, beards and boots - Why the hate?

[Fluro Boots]

I've often wondered the same.

 

[Collingwood 4 eternity]

"Come at me haters"

If you Google image search , "tattooed vajayjay" , the first pic looks just like the above Bruce Doull pic

 

[Freo2012]

I do know, through athletics coaching, that beards do actually cause the body to heat up and limit the cooling effect of perspiration on that skin area - it is only minor but is scientific fact. There is a reason elite olympic runners don't have beards, it does limit performance very slightly.

For all the non-believers that think this facial hair fashion statement has no bearing on performance consider the reverse - the most body heat is lost through the exposed head and neck in cold conditions - the reverse in overheating situations also applies - you want maximum skin exposure (without direct sun as that just heats up anyway though reduced with suitable sunblocks but also limit to an extent perspiration from those areas) to perspire from and have the wind effect against the perspiration to cool the body - facial hair limits the wind effect from running of properly cooling through the evaporation effect of perspiration on the skin.

Footy players with beards, if they are honest and some have, would admit that they heat up more in their necks during games with a beard.

The big question is in the psyche - if a player is consciously willing to forego a small amount of performance due to their "fashion statement" what else subconsciously are they also not contributing 100% to apply themselves to get the best out of themselves?

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I don't hate them. But I think there is this bit of an opinion that if you're going to do something that makes yourself stand out on the field like fluoro boots then you probably want to back it up with your on field performance.

Why?

Not having a go at you, just always wondered why so many people believe performance has to match appearance.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

If you Google image search , "tattooed vajayjay" , the first pic looks just like the above Bruce Doull pic

What a coincidence, I was just Googling that.

 

[bigfarter]

Beardos, long-hairs and flashy bootwearers can't swim, they attract enemy radar, they attract sharks, they insist on being placed at "the captain's table", they get up late, they nudge people whilst they're shooting (for goal). They muck about. Imagine... the fear... of knowing you have a bearded man in your team, when you take the field you think to yourself "God... will I get to quarter time and find everybody dead?" You can't run a team like that.

 

[Suma Magic]

Luke Darcy is a moron. It will always be 2002 in his mind.

 

[Marlin01]

I have a problem with AFL players (or any sportsperson) who allows their hair to fall into their eyes.

 

[Schauermann]

I like conformity. Every player should have a mullet and a moustache...

 

[ioppolo]

Schofield shaved his beard and was dropped the next week. Masten meanwhile is playing career best footy.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Don't care about beards or haircuts. In fact, it's usually good for a laugh.

But black boots are the staple. They look so much better and they send off a better signal. The lamest thing is when some prick rocks up to ammos colt's training in a pair of orange boots... who do you think you are?

 

[thekelvin]

I must admit, I don't mind a bit of conformity on the team.
I hate seeing someone with flashy boots have a crap game. It really is a "look at me" thing.
Where you admit it or not, these things stick out and make you more noticeable.
If I wasn't comfortable with my position in the team, why would I want to have people playing closer attention to my game?

Shaved heads and faces and plain boots for me.

 

[piesaregreat]

I do know, through athletics coaching, that beards do actually cause the body to heat up and limit the cooling effect of perspiration on that skin area - it is only minor but is scientific fact. There is a reason elite olympic runners don't have beards, it does limit performance very slightly.

For all the non-believers that think this facial hair fashion statement has no bearing on performance consider the reverse - the most body heat is lost through the exposed head and neck in cold conditions - the reverse in overheating situations also applies - you want maximum skin exposure (without direct sun as that just heats up anyway though reduced with suitable sunblocks but also limit to an extent perspiration from those areas) to perspire from and have the wind effect against the perspiration to cool the body - facial hair limits the wind effect from running of properly cooling through the evaporation effect of perspiration on the skin.

Footy players with beards, if they are honest and some have, would admit that they heat up more in their necks during games with a beard.

The big question is in the psyche - if a player is consciously willing to forego a small amount of performance due to their "fashion statement" what else subconsciously are they also not contributing 100% to apply themselves to get the best out of themselves?

So everyone should shave their entire head as it would increase heat loss.
Basically everyone should play naked to maximise heatloss.
So if a player is consciously willing to forego a small amount of performance due to their "wearing of clothes fashion statement" what else subconsciously are they also not contributing 100% to apply themselves to get the best out of themselves?
Macavaney would exploded continuously in the commentary box

 

[Sttew]

Hear it all the time.

(insert player name here) would wanna be playing elite footy if he wants to sport (insert hair, beard, boots) like that.

Last year one of the commentators called Chris Newman out for wearing blue boots and said they're too flashy for a defender to wear.

Also commentators going on about beards and certain hairstyles distracting players from working hard etc.

I don't see how any of these things make a difference to one's playing ability, it's just personal choice. Maybe it's the media and spectators concentrating too much on the player's appearance rather than their performances.

You're dead right, and I have probably been guilty of doing what you describe, mainly with beards and tattoos. I've never had a problem with coloured boots. I blame the commentators who fuel the discussion. But seriously it shouldn't matter one iota, unless you're from Melbourne FC.

 

[Fuzzy Wuzzy Bear]

Because its a team sport. The best team is not filled with people that want to make an individual out of themselves.

 

[lihei]

 

[Sebastian Balboa]

Pride in belonging in a team environment leads to a desire to belong not individualise.

Loyalty to your mates, the contest, the game and "what the team is about" would mean that you would be more interested in moving together than doing something that does not improve the entire group but only draws attention to yourself and not what the group is trying achieve. It is an action that suggests the individual is motivated more by self interest than by what is at stake. If you follow team directions, you will tell a story far greater than what your individual act achieves.

Wayne Bennett is a well respected NRL coach. He is more a coach of young boys to become good men and has always had a tactics-focused assistant coach to run plays. In answering a question of whether Willie Mason would ever regrow his famous afro again, he comments that Bennett would send him away from training immediately because it reflected a standard that was expected and not even being able to cut his hair within the normalised range of hair cuts sets a standard that you are willing to forgoe fashion for expectation.

Individual hair, shoes and beards are not the issue per say but what they say. Malceski and Shaw grew their beards together and was a sign of solidarity between the two team mates. Same action, different meaning but positive for the team. Kyle Reimers' bright shoes says hey look at me!

Isn't he a former police man? This would explain his stance.

 

[Papa Juggs]

This doesn't get any negative comments.

This is ok but this isn't?

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Because its a team sport. The best team is not filled with people that want to make an individual out of themselves.

Dermott Brereton was a show pony. Green boots, media whore, earrings, dyed and permed hair, lair - and he was a key member of one of the most successful sides of all time. Dipper was also something of a renegade. There will always be individuals in a team. The genius of Allan Jeans was that he was able to get all of these disparate personalities to function as a fearsome unit. Rather than stamping out their individual traits he figured out a way for those traits to benefit the team. Which allowed Chris Mew to play alongside Dermott Brereton. A great team is one that is made of individuals that work together - not a bunch of robots. I'd say the current day Geelong are similar - they've allowed personalities like Steve Johnson and Max Rooke and even Jimmy Bartel to flourish and they've set the benchmark for success.

 

[Grongey]

I love the beards. Rhyce Shaw started the trend, and Ben Hudson. It's a gentle poke in the eye to the AFL, and their marketing and PR consultants trying to sanitize our game. First with the rules, now with the players appearance.

We'll lose something from our game if it becomes all metrosexuals. The anti-beard crowd are old-school thinkers.

 

[blaze036]

IF apparently clubs don't want any "individuals" because its a team game then not sure what the deal was with #majakhappens.

Nothing wrong with having the boots and hair ect as long as you play well and play for the team

 

[Wallaby]

But black boots are the staple. They look so much better and they send off a better signal. The lamest thing is when some prick rocks up to ammos colt's training in a pair of orange boots... who do you think you are?

Why? If a guy likes his orange boots, why should you care? He's not saying 'I'm a great player' - that's your perception and your interpretation. Orange boots are not something you can earn by being a great player - they are something you buy at Rebel. Kudos for him for showing some fashion flair and not blindly conforming. Or maybe they were just on special that week.

I personally agree with you that they don't look the best - but that's just my personal opinion worth absolutely nothing. And has no relationship to the skill of the player.

 

[blaze036]

This doesn't get any negative comments.

This is ok but this isn't?

Because the racism police would come out

 

[RU486]

Footy is a team game, the issue with boots is it just screams 'individuality' - there more interested in standing out and getting noticed then playing good team football.

As for the beards, for me it is an issue of professionalism. The turn of the 21st Century saw AFL become a fully fledged professional sport. Football players are now more scrutinised than ever and are constantly in the media, often outside of a football capacity. Such dress would not be tolerated in the work office, it's just not professional - notice how none of the captains or elite players have a beard, very amatuer.

 

[blaze036]

Footy is a team game, the issue with boots is it just screams 'individuality' - there more interested in standing out and getting noticed then playing good team football.

As for the beards, for me it is an issue of professionalism. The turn of the 21st Century saw AFL become a fully fledged professional sport. Football players are now more scrutinised than ever and are constantly in the media, often outside of a football capacity. Such dress would not be tolerated in the work office, it's just not professional - notice how none of the captains or elite players have a beard, very amatuer.

Every single person in the AFL community wants individuals... we don't want 22 identical robots running out each week and nodding in unison when a goal is kicked. The fact is 22 individuals make up every team, and if they can work together well who cares what boots they wear.

I'm pretty sure no work office would demand someone get rid of a beard unless they are extremely posh or it could be hazardous. Having facial hair funnily enough has no relation to how professional you are.