Discussion The AFL Clash Uniform Rule

[wizardwaffle]

THE AFL CLASH UNIFORM RULE​

For those that attended an AFL match during Round 16 and purchased a AFL Record would have had the chance to read an interesting letter in the Backchat column. This rounds letter was for a Hawthorn supporter who said his experience was degraded when Hawthorn played Carlton at the MCG and wore their white clash strip. He said "I was surprised and disappointed to see Hawthorn, as the away team, having to wear its clash jumper in round 14. The traditional Carlton and Hawthorn jumpers are so different in colour and design, so I cannot understand why wearing the clash jumper was necessary. I find it difficult to believe players could confuse a brown and gold jumper with the Carlton strip. In contrast, in last week's Carlton-Collingwood match, both teams wore their traditional jumpers despite the obvious dark similarities, especially when viewed from behind."

So these two uniforms are to confusing for the AFL and requirer one team to wear a clash strip.


However these two uniforms are not confusing at all and are OK.


The AFL did give an explaination to this: "The AFL has the final say on uniforms for all matches. In simple terms, our policy is about having dark versus light, so there is a clear differentiation for the teams playing, the fans at the game, and supporters watching on television on the separation between the two clubs. Where we think there is a clash between two home uniforms, the visiting team will be required to be put into a light/alternate strip to distinguish it from the home club."

All the AFL says is if they see a clash between the two uniforms then the away has to wear their clash uniform. They didn't say why the Carlton v Hawthorn game was confusing and Collingwood v Carlton isn't. It sounds like to me that they don't want to anger Carlton by telling them to wear their Baby Blue uniform for their traditional clash with Collingwood. But for Hawthorn, they will wear what they are told. From their response it would seem that they have selected vision as their response was to a letter which contained a match that had a more noticable clash, but no alternative uniform asked for. All they say is what we says goes.

 

[jethro11]

It's a complete joke.

I think most of us would agree that Hawthorn should of worn their home vs Carlton and Carlton should of worn their clash vs Collingwood. Simple as that.

 

[akkaps]

I think it would be easier if all clubs had a dark and a light uniform, and they wear their dark uniform for home games and their light uniform for away games.

 

[Macca_]

I think it would be easier if all clubs had a dark and a light uniform, and they wear their dark uniform for home games and their light uniform for away games.

 

[Gibbsy]

Now where have I heard this before?

 

[jethro11]

I think it would be easier if all clubs had a dark and a light uniform, and they wear their dark uniform for home games and their light uniform for away games.

That would mean North, Geelong and Hawthorn would have to change their jumpers. Unfair on them.

 

[akkaps]

That would mean North, Geelong and Hawthorn would have to change their jumpers. Unfair on them.

I have always preferred north's current clash as a home jersey with blue shorts and the white jersey with white shorts as their clash. Same with Geelong. Although with the Hawks, i have tried to reverse the strip but it looks terrible.

 

[Cat_Attack !]

There is no way you can say that Geelongs current clash jumper is better then their home.

 

[hitthepost]

OK. Stuff "dark v light, wear dark home and light away".
Black, Navy, Purple clash
Navy, Purple, Royal clash
Navy, Purple, Maroon clash (I add this one not because they are similar colours but because they're similar in being midway dark/light, look at Brisbane v Carlton, not great)
Maroon, Red, Orange clash
Orange, Yellow clash.
Teams tells AFL their preference order of jumpers.
First priority: home team in preferred jumper.
Second priority: remove clash
Third priority: away team in preferred jumper.
Make teams wear shorts that help distinguish teams
Make teams wear socks that help distinguish teams.

Example 1:
Collingwood v Carlton. Collingwood's preferred jumper is classed as mainly black. Carlton's preferred jumper is classed as mainly navy. By the above rules, that's a clash. First priority: Collingwood in preferred jumper. Second priority: remove clash - so Carlton can't wear theirs. Third priority: Carlton prefer navy, can't wear it, their next preference is their baby blue, so they wear that. Shorts are black for Collingwood and baby-blue for Carlton. Collingwood has solid black socks, Carlton need to break up their solid navy socks to distinguish.

Example 2:
Geelong v Adelaide. Geelong's preferred jumper is mainly white. Adelaide's is mainly navy. No clash. Both teams wear preferred jumpers. To help distinguish teams Geelong wears white shorts and Adelaide navy. Removes navy from Geelong and white from Adelaide.

Example 3:
Geelong v North Melbourne. Geelong's preferred jumper is mainly white. Noth's is too. Geelong wears their preferred jumper. North's preferred they can't wear, their next preference is the inverse royal blue with white stripes. Shorts are white for Geelong and Royal for North. Normal socks are fine as Geelong's are hooped and North's are solid royal.

Simple enough?
If a team wants an away strip (eg Fremantle's white one) they can only wear it away if it doesn't clash with the home team. So they can't wear it against Geelong, North or Sydney.

 

[SugarShane]

Common sense isn't overly common in the AFL. Interestingly enough, when GWS came to AAMI earlier this season, their home jumper was deemed not to clash with ours.

Fast forward to last weekend at Skoda, and apparently all of a sudden we were deemed to clash with them.

They just seem to randomly pick out who clashes and who doesn't out of a hat.

 

[hitthepost]

Common sense isn't overly common in the AFL. Interestingly enough, when GWS came to AAMI earlier this season, their home jumper was deemed not to clash with ours.

Fast forward to last weekend at Skoda, and apparently all of a sudden we were deemed to clash with them.

They just seem to randomly pick out who clashes and who doesn't out of a hat.

Probably because of the white shorts.
IMO of GWS had an orange kit with charcoal yoke area they'd be able to not be ANOTHER dark team.

 

[Bryce_Jersey17]

And considering the back of the guernseys. GWS are considered to clash with way too many teams. There have been some unnecessary clashs. For example. we were told to use a clash against Fremantle (Purple v Orange) however, when we play against sydney (Orange v Red) we dont???

 

[Strauchanside]

Common sense isn't overly common in the AFL. Interestingly enough, when GWS came to AAMI earlier this season, their home jumper was deemed not to clash with ours.

Fast forward to last weekend at Skoda, and apparently all of a sudden we were deemed to clash with them.

They just seem to randomly pick out who clashes and who doesn't out of a hat.

Perhaps the league figured out the first meeting was a clash and have now since rectified it?

 

[____]

I find it funny that in a so called "professional" comp, they are so amateurish when it comes to this.

Also Carlton need to wear a proper clash jumper against us. Anyone who thinks there is no clash is taking the piss

 

[COHL]

I find it funny that in a so called "professional" comp, they are so amateurish when it comes to this.

Also Carlton need to wear a proper clash jumper against us. Anyone who thinks there is no clash is taking the piss

No they don't. An I'm not taking the piss.

 

[Omegaville]

From that still, the only thing breaking the clash is Carlton's white shorts. Are shorts sufficient to distinguish teams?

 

[Heardy_101]

From that still, the only thing breaking the clash is Carlton's white shorts. Are shorts sufficient to distinguish teams?

Yes and No.

Take the recent Collingwood vs Carlton match. Had the Pies worn the white shorts (like their supposed to according to the "new rule"), then I think it would have been much easier on the eyes of the viewers.

The WCE vs Calrton match where WCE wore white shorts had the same result however if WCE had a proper home jumper instead of their messy POS they have now then there wouldn't have been much of an issue.

But that's just me.

 

[____]

From that still, the only thing breaking the clash is Carlton's white shorts. Are shorts sufficient to distinguish teams?

It depends on the situation. For example (different sport I know) Liverpool wear red shorts and red socks with their red shirt, while Man United wear white shorts and black socks with their red shirt, the FA obviously deems that as a clash and rightfully so. White shorts do not solve a clash, especially when players wear compression gear underneath of any colour (usually white) which on TV gives out the impression that they are also wearing white shorts. However I do believe clashes like Carlton v Essendon can be solved if Carlton decide to wear white shorts and Essendon wear red shorts.

On the photo above the only reason why the white shorts break up the clash is because the image is still. When it is moving, especially from far out and players running at full speed, there is definitely a clash. White shorts do not solve a Brisbane Lions (with our real jumper) v Carlton clash (we always wear our Fitzroy inspired jumper when we play them away - bright red - no clash).

I really hate people who think our old home jumper and their home jumper don't clash, they either have amazing eyesight or have never watched a Brisbane Lions v Carlton match.