Orange Roos strip, what's the problem?

[Guest]

This has been a real bugbear of mine for a long time, where 2 teams with similar design or colours play each other thereby making it very difficult to tell one team from the other.

It seems fairly logical where one team is predominately dark in colour for the opposite team to wear a lighter strip.

Football seems to be the only sport in the world which does not seem to follow the light v dark philosophy. Sports like soccer, basketball both rugby's all have alternate strips, why not football?

In a game like football where players can run everywhere, create huge packs, does it not seem a practical idea to have teams which at a glance look completely different from one another.

 

[sandie]

But orange, that would have to be the worst colour for a footy jumper, except maybe purple, red, green & white together on one jumper.

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Mantis

 

[Guest]

I agree Sandie that orange is a terrible color they chose orange for the money. I suggest a fan vote on a teams alternate strip.

 

[Shinboners]

The Herald-Sun did a photo of Wayne Carey with an orange and white striped top. It didn't look as bad as what I thought it would and it doesn't look anywhere near as awful as that light blue that Carlton used for that M&M promotion.

Speaking of orange, at the Scottish FA Cup final, the Rangers fans all turned up wearing orange. Anyone who knows anything about the Rangers/Celtic sectarianism will know how provocative this was. The Rangers fans said that it was in tribute to their Dutch manager (orange being the colours of Dutch national teams), but the double meaning of the colour couldn't be ignored. Needless to say, it all looked rather odd.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Orange is pretty crappy, looks great on the Dutch National Soccer team but thats about as good as it gets for orange I'm afraid.

But hey - thats business.

Seriously though happy hawker isn't the only one who thinks the clash of jumper designs is unacceptable. I don't watch Essendon - Richmond or Collingwood - North games because it just looks so shithouse and also have you ever noticed during these fixtures how many time the players hand-ball directly to an opponent ?

In the American Gridiron where there is a clash of jumpers, the visiting side wears an ALL WHITE strip with the teams regular colours in a pinstrip that trims the all white outfit, normal helmets are retained.

Any thoughts on this practice ? - interesting and unique I think.

 

[sandie]

I don't give a damn about other clubs changing their strips, but they had better not EVER change the Bombers strip.

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Mantis

 

[Guest]

Sandie, it does not matter what colours the Essendon team wears they will always be the Essendon FC. Manchester Utd. has worn grey and yellow strips, so if they can change so can Essendon.

 

[WCE2000]

I think it is schocking that the Kangaroos are doing this. This is something that won't kill football by any means. But it does a lot to damage the reputation. Basically, it means that the AFL is willing to sell out just to get some money.

 

[Grave Danger]

Look, North need the money so these things have to be done. West Coast don't need the money but they still went for the 'level crossing smash' look with their away jumper. It's ridiculous.

 

[Dan26]

I don't agree with Norths "doing it for the money" scenario.

I totally agree however that clubs should have alternate strips. NOT FOR MARKETING PURPOSES, but for the puropes of distinguishing teams.

If North was doing this as the away team (which they are not, they're the home team), and they were doing it for the purpose of distinguishing the teams, then I would be all for it.

However, this isn't the case. They are doing it as the home team, and they are doing it for the cash.

Collingwood, should be wearing some sort of alternate guernsey for this match. They are the away team.

Liverpool is 100 times more famous than Collingwood, and when they play an away match against another "red" team, Liverpool wear Green. No one thinks any less of the club, as everyone accepts that green is fine, as it allows the fans to tell the difference between the two teams.

While I am proud that Essendon is the ONLY AFL club to keep their original guernsey (no test pattern pre-season style), I would agree that we need a different jumper when we are the away team against Melbourne and St.Kilda.

Essendon have a training jumper which is nearly all red, with about 6 thin black sashs running diagonally on it. Wearing this red guernsey, with redshorts (or white shorts), would be perfect agaisnt St.Kilda (predominantly black with black shorts), or Melbourne, with their dark Navy Blue. But only when Essendon is the away team.

I've never really had a problem distinguishing Essendon-Richmond matches. Yellow is the most receptive clour to our eyes (bit of trivia for you all), and the yellow on Richmond imediatey grabs the watcher. But I suppose it would make sense if the Bombers use their predominantly red training guernsey against the Tigers too.

if you have ever watched Richmond train, they train in a yellow jumper with black claw marks running diagonally. it looks pretty good. This would be perfect when they are the away team against the Bombers.

Carlton-Melbourne is a problem too. Whats the prob;lem with Carlton coming out in "ooposite" colours, with all white with a blue mongram and blue number (and perhaps a blue collar) They could still wear blue shorts and socks. That would look OK. Seriously, it would. The English Rugby and Soccer teams have an ALL WHITE jumper with a rose in the top corner, and that is far more well-known than Carlton's jumper.

Alternate guernseys are a must. Let's move with the times.

 

[Guest]

Danny boy!, right on the money with all your comments, I too have noticed how strikingly different and good the training strips are for several teams.
Home teams should ALWAYS wear their traditional playing strip, it's up to the opposition to play in an alternate strip.

Good news might be just around the corner Dan, the AFL is "encouraging" teams to come up with 3 strips, home, away and neutral although in typical footy HQ speak they use encouraging, they should have demanded this for 2001. But as usual wishy washy administration will let this little annoyance fester for a few more years!

 

[Ardent]

I think everyone is getting a little too serious, heah big deal North change their jumper for one day to make $250,000.00 to me that is a very easy way of making some money. Especially when I like the colour orange, I hope they have some jumpers for sale at the game, so I can give the club another "c note".

Dan24, North wear their away strip every time they play Collingwood and have for a few years now. Anyway more importantly, Why should North have to wear white shorts when we play Adelaide, Brisbane, Essendon, Melbourne, Hawthorn, WCE and Richmond.

and just to get the subject back to Essendon for Sandie, I loved their Red shorts, now that was ugly.

 

[sandie]

Dan 24
I have to agree with Ardent, I hope they don't go back to the red shorts. I can just picture Moorcroft, Misiti & a couple of others backsides in red shorts, it's not a pretty picture.
And we don't need an away jumper, because our jumpers don't clash with other teams except Richmond & as you explained the yellow is easily distinguished from red.

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Mantis

 

[Drakey]

Can't agree sandie

Your jumpers clashed with the blues jumpers last friday night (on the box anyway). Lets face it the old dark navey blues arn't far away from black.

Take it from someone who's team has 2 strips. You don't barrack for them any less when they are wearing the away jumper. Even when it looks shithouse.

2 strips are neccessary. Dark home strip & light away strip.

If & when the dons get an away strip you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[Tiger]

If it got Mike Sheahan upset go Orangeroos, I may even swap if they wear the Orange fulltime.

 

[Sydney Slim]

I think Carey got in a week early because he was Duck ala Orange against us last week!!!!
What a pisser!!!!!!!

 

[Bernie]

Alternate strips - I think that's a great idea. The European Leagues have adopted this really as a fashion statement - look at the merchandising $$$ that can be gained ( pop onto the MANU(re) web site to see all the gear ).

This is where the Bombers strip in particular is a touch BOGAN as a fashion item. I'm sure some classy designer - Versarce etc - could create SOMETHING interesting from basic red and black.

 

[Stealth bomber]

Perhaps the whole league should take a page out of American sports and have a white or light coloured guernsey for all teams involved. All US sports require one team to wear white or otherwise very light (in the case of basketball, baseball and ice hockey, the HOME team always wears white; in football usually the away team does).

Maybe Essendon's could be white with a red slash and black shorts. Richmond, Hawthorn, Carlton and Sydney could all invert.

It also ends up allowing the clubs to make money off all the people buying two guernseys. (provided the idea doesn't go overboard like in the National Hockey League, where you now have thirds and even fourths).

 

[sandie]

I hope you're kidding stealth bomber, we aren't south melbourne, I could except red with black sash, but where the hell do you get white from. We are talking about Aussie rules, I'm sick of everyone saying we should be more like Soccer, Rugby, Hockey, Beach Volleyball etc.
Why should we change to what other codes are doing, you will end up killing off the uniqueness of our code.

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Mantis

 

[Dan26]

Sandie,

You have got to use some common-sense.

Firstly, I agree Essendon looked terrible with red shorts with their traditional guernsey.

But red shorts WOULDN'T look terrible if we wore a predominately red guernsey like our training jumper which is nearly all red with a black sash. Red shorts would suit it as a matter of fact......much better than black shorts would.

We have a terrible clash with Melbourne. Whenever we play them, it a mixture of dark and red. When we play the Saints it is bad too.

I dont think any club need to adopt a "white" approach. If clubs reverse their colours, for game where there are clashes, it will be easy to accomodate. This is the best solution. You don't need to do it for all away matches. Just for those away matches where there is a clash of colours

 

[Guest]

Get real Sandie!

How can having alternate strips ruin the uniqueness of our game, changing the uniform does not alter the shape of the ball, change the rules of the game or affect the crowd participation.

You should'nt be so blinkered when it comes to watching and utilizing certain aspects of other sports all over the world.

As Dan24 stated, simply reversing the colours on the strip would suffice in most situations.

 

[Pessimistic]

You have to make sure the alternate strip doesn't take you CLOSER to other teams. The new Eagles sones in particular look like carlton from one side and hawthorn from the other.

For Hawthorn (who have very few clashes anyway) I would go for a darkish green with the brown and gold trimmings (a bit like the Australia v Ireland strip which is the best sports shirt I have ever seen)

What would you suggest for your teams ?

 

[Rooboy 96]

As a Kangaroo Fan I am very happy with Orange, and glad we got in first, again.

Should Essendon's be Pink? sounds good to me, with Red shorts.

Something that has been mentioned on another Forum is that the Kangaroos are getting $750,000 for the change and it may not be a one off.

 

[dons_r_tops]

When Essendon Play Richmond The Tigers Should Play Yellow Jumper With Black Sash And the Bombers Red With Black Sash, That Way there are no clashes and neither team is pushing for the other to be the one to change. also who threw up on the eagles away strip?

 

[sandie]

I think the Eagles away strip looks like one of the Crows strips.
Also Dan24, I said I wouldn't mind if Bombers wore red with black sash, I was responding to the suggestion they wear white with a red sash, completely different colours. Also red shorts don't look good on players with a large behind.

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Mantis