Is a yellow Sherrin really easier to see at night/early in the morning?

Sep 4, 2020
89
82
Tampa, FL, USA
AFL Club
GWS
I'm not sure if this is the right forum to put this in, so apologies in advance if it's not.

Anyway, I just came back from the park where I was hoping to kick my footy around until the park's listed closing time (10 p.m. — it's 9:25 right now). The only problem with that was the football fields weren't lit (despite having lights), so I was at the mercy of whatever little daylight I had left. Obviously, my ability to kick ended sooner than I had hoped, but in the waning hours of twilight, it was virtually impossible to see my red Sherrin. As the months turn to winter here in the U.S., early morning lighting will be similar as the sun takes its sweet time coming up. Those hours are primarily when I kick (tonight was going to be an exception, thus why I didn't know the field lights wouldn't be on), so it's kind of discouraging to think about how difficult it was to see the Sherrin. I'm wondering if you all think it's worth getting a yellow footy to account for the upcoming winter months where I'll probably do more kicking in lighting like tonight.
 

Aeglos

Cancelled
Sep 27, 2016
3,580
2,743
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Essendon
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Riverpigs
I'm wondering if you all think it's worth getting a yellow footy to account for the upcoming winter months where I'll probably do more kicking in lighting like tonight.

In a word: yes.
Even on grounds with really good lighting the red Sherrin is ridiculously difficult to see.
 
Sep 4, 2020
89
82
Tampa, FL, USA
AFL Club
GWS
Thanks. Looks like my next footy will be a yellow one then.

While I'm on the subject, and to avoid creating another thread on a similar subject, does anyone have any experience with the KB Poly, especially when compared with a traditional KB football? It looks like the Poly was designed for slippery conditions, which would obviously make things easier on me when using it on a wet morning, but is that even a good idea? If I join a team or league that plays with regular KBs, for example, I feel I could be better off just learning how to grip that in wet conditions as opposed to a ball that may not get over to the U.S. as often.

I guess the heart of the question is how much better, if at all, is a KB Poly versus a regular KB? (And if so, why is it cheaper?)

Thanks!
 

NorthernBastard

Team Captain
Aug 15, 2019
563
548
AFL Club
Richmond
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Not actually Richmond
Personal opinion the traditional KB feels much better, when they're in good condition there is no better footy, however for training in damp conditions the poly coated footy is much better at repelling water and avoiding becoming water logged.

If it's cold and damp when you train I'd probably recommend the poly footy for better longevity.
 
Sep 4, 2020
89
82
Tampa, FL, USA
AFL Club
GWS
It's not so much cold and damp as much as it is hot and humid. Most of the water on the field I use comes from overnight dew. When it gets "cold" here, it's pretty dry.

Hmm... sounds like I have a situation. I could always shift my training to later in the day to avoid the morning dew.

Does the traditional KB feel that much better that I should buy it and just avoid wet fields as much as possible?
 
May 29, 2012
1,527
1,173
Scotland
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St Kilda
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Kingdom Kangaroos, Sandy Zebras
It's not so much cold and damp as much as it is hot and humid. Most of the water on the field I use comes from overnight dew. When it gets "cold" here, it's pretty dry.

Hmm... sounds like I have a situation. I could always shift my training to later in the day to avoid the morning dew.

Does the traditional KB feel that much better that I should buy it and just avoid wet fields as much as possible?

Realise this is a really late reply... but here in Scotland we are trying to train in some pretty dire weather, its only dry/sunny here maybe half the time in summer, let alone through preseason!
However we got a great route to get some footys late in 2019 that were higher spec, some are actual AFL team training sherrins.
We then used the stuff people use on trainers to keep some of them in good condition, it sort of soaks into/evaporates off the leather and leaves a protective film, but with no noticeable difference to the footy. Its not slippy or tacky, you'd never know they'd been coated - and in fact we had to write on them which ones we'd coated.
 
at the Junior level (under 7,8,9,10) here in QLD they go with red or orange synthetic in the day and the yellow synthetic at night

I like the orange one especially if it's early in the morning or dark and cloudy overhead - easier to pick up
 

Fire

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 12, 2003
11,367
5,957
New York
AFL Club
North Melbourne
on the ground its pretty easy to see a red ball at night.

In the air though, you have a background of a black sky which the red easily melts into. Floodlights are typically aimed to light the surface, not a 3D volume, so there is comparatively little light on the ball when you go to mark it.
 
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