News White shorts ditched in AFLW

[Gibbsy]

‘Awesome outcome’: White shorts ditched for AFLW players to cut period stress

A sensible outcome given the worldwide push for less mandatory white-coloured sporting attire given sensitivities around women's menstrual cycles etc.

I think this actually could be the catalyst for less white shorts in the men's AFL as well – obviously not from a medical standpoint, but rather clubs will actually be able to see how cool coloured shorts look and then give them a run in the men's comp too.

What colour shorts do we think clubs will run with? It'll be interesting for the clubs like Collingwood, Geelong, Carlton etc whether they run with different shades of their main colour (silver? a lighter blue?)

 

[rabbitoh21]

‘Awesome outcome’: White shorts ditched for AFLW players to cut period stress

A sensible outcome given the worldwide push for less mandatory white-coloured sporting attire given sensitivities around women's menstrual cycles etc.

I think this actually could be the catalyst for less white shorts in the men's AFL as well – obviously not from a medical standpoint, but rather clubs will actually be able to see how cool coloured shorts look and then give them a run in the men's comp too.

What colour shorts do we think clubs will run with? It'll be interesting for the clubs like Collingwood, Geelong, Carlton etc whether they run with different shades of their main colour (silver? a lighter blue?)

It's a pretty common sense move - sports materials aren't as opaque as they used to be when they were woolen or cotton and it's pretty noticeable at every level of sport now that white nylon/polyester is particularly see-through, thinner/lighter materials especially.

 

[Walshawk]

Will be interesting to see what colour combos they come up with.

 

[Andonis1997]

As soon as I saw the thread pop up, I wrongly assumed it would have had to do with the fact that there are 'shorter' shorts in the women's game than men so they're less visible. I never even considered the actual reason. I guess that shows how good men have it That's a very reasonable outcome for the girls though, happy for the players to not have to stress about that.

I'm guessing the colours will align with the away guernseys, so Crows may have an all-yellow get-up, Carlton all baby-blue. Ideally though, the teams would just stick with their home shorts, as there is not really a need for away shorts full-stop.

If anything, I'd say the men's future would stick with home shorts only, rather than creative new colours. So you could get the traditional pre-2000s Collingwood set for a clash uniform, and Carlton in navy shorts with a white guernsey

 

[parano1a]

Hopefully Collingwood aren't forced to wear any colour other than black or white.

 

[The Victorian]

I wonder if they will retain white away strips?

Adelaide- yellow
Brisbane- home
Carlton- home
Collingwood- home
Essendon- red
Fremantle- home
Geelong- home
Gold Coast- sky blue
GWS- home
Hawthorn- home
Melbourne- royal blue
North Melb- home
Port- teal
Richmond- yellow
St Kilda- home
Sydney- home
West Coast- yellow
Bulldogs- home

 

[Mr Eagle]

It will be interesting to see if the AFL has any tolerance for light clash jumpers with the same home dark shorts. Light shorts that aren't white don't seem to fix much in this situation.

 

[nickroseville]

Hopefully Collingwood aren't forced to wear any colour other than black or white.

i hope they are forced to add teal like you guys forced port to add it

 

[parano1a]

To any women who play sport... Is this an actual problem or purely symbolic?
Wimbledon has forced players of all genders to wear all white for centuries.
Surely the players could just wear black bike shorts under the white playing shorts for the same effect...

 

[Jack Stevens]

To any women who play sport... Is this an actual problem or purely symbolic?
Wimbledon has forced players of all genders to wear all white for centuries.
Surely the players could just wear black bike shorts under the white playing shorts for the same effect...

This is such a misogynistic take. You don't think that a "centuries" old tradition might be a little out of line with modern standards of inclusivity and respect?

And, yeah, let's get all of the women who are menstruating to clearly identify themselves with black bike shorts. Great. That obviously achieves the exact same outcome as changing shorts colours to make the players feel more comfortable.

 

[parano1a]

This is such a misogynistic take.

I genuinely didn't realise this was a problem before I heard about this. I thought most women who were elite athletes stopped menstruation...

 

[rabbitoh21]

Wimbledon has forced players of all genders to wear all white for centuries.
Surely the players could just wear black bike shorts under the white playing shorts for the same effect...

That's the problem... Wimbledon were policing anything that wasn't white and could be even slightly visible. With the thinness of the materials, you could clearly see any of the ladies wearing anything not completely white under their outer garments. White performance materials are semi-opaque to allow the material to breathe and very thin. This is very revealing, and much more so if it's wet (sweat, weather, etc.) and clinging to the body.

 

[rabbitoh21]

Wimbledon has forced players of all genders to wear all white for centuries.
Surely the players could just wear black bike shorts under the white playing shorts for the same effect...

Just to follow up to my above comment, this is an international RL referees' jersey I just picked up. It's thicker than what you'd normally find in tennis or even cricket or golf, but you can see the rear sponsor through the front, white panel (behind the embroidery).

 

[Andonis1997]

I genuinely didn't realise this was a problem before I heard about this. I thought most women who were elite athletes stopped menstruation...

It's not like the women removed their reproductive system to play sport

 

[El_Scorcho]

Great decision and hopefully one that will lead to the dumb white shorts policy being scrapped for the men's league as well.

Just have both sides in dark shorts. It doesn't matter.

 

[parano1a]

Just have both sides in dark shorts. It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter unless both teams are in dark jumpers and it is the only point of differentiation. Watch it happen again next year with Carlton v Richmond and Collingwood v Essendon...

 

[parano1a]

It's not like the women removed their reproductive system to play sport

I have heard it said multiple times that most elite female athletes (Olympic swimmers, track and field etc) don't have periods due to the toll the training schedules take on their bodies. Maybe this is just a myth or doesn't apply to AFLW players, I don't know.

 

[Mero]

Teams will have one colour for shorts.
There will be no 'Clash' or 'Away' option.
The Clash rules that apply to the AFL comp are not applied in the AFLW.
Richmond play Carlton in their Away jumpers and vice versa.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Teams will have one colour for shorts.
There will be no 'Clash' or 'Away' option.

That ain't what the AFL said in their own media release:

Clubs will be provided with the option to have an additional set of coloured shorts to be worn in conjunction with their clash strip where appropriate.

 

[Mero]

That ain't what the AFL said in their own media release:

Players won't wear them.
And won't be made to.
Only possibilities are Adelaide, Melbourne & Essendon wearing Red.
Lighter colours have been rejected by the players.
My source is a contact at a manufacturer.

PS Things may change, negotiations may be entered into with the TV coverage people, but that is apparently how it stands at present.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Players won't wear them.
And won't be made to.
Only possibilities are Adelaide, Melbourne & Essendon wearing Red.
Lighter colours have been rejected by the players.
My source is a contact at a manufacturer.

PS Things may change, negotiations may be entered into with the TV coverage people, but that is apparently how it stands at present.

Why wouldn't St Kilda and the Bulldogs wear red shorts (vs, say, Collingwood and the Eagles respectively). Seems like Brisbane wearing blue shorts against the Swans and Suns would also make sense.

 

[Mero]

Why wouldn't St Kilda and the Bulldogs wear red shorts (vs, say, Collingwood and the Eagles respectively). Seems like Brisbane wearing blue shorts against the Swans and Suns would also make sense.

I would imagine it was because their Clash jumpers are White.
I am only going only what I believe was a reliable source.

 

[Teen Wolf]

I am only going only what I believe was a reliable source.

Doesn't sound at all plausible that Brisbane would wear maroon shorts with their red Fitzroy jumper, but maybe there's more to the story.

 

[Blackhawk42]

I have heard it said multiple times that most elite female athletes (Olympic swimmers, track and field etc) don't have periods due to the toll the training schedules take on their bodies. Maybe this is just a myth or doesn't apply to AFLW players, I don't know.

I'm stunned by your comments. However I'll happily answer politely.

What you said here CAN happen. However, I'm concerned that you believed it was such a blanketed phenomenon. Women's reproductive cycles are incredibly complex and their consistencies vary from person to person.

Also, Daisy Pearce (as one example) has children. That would automatically have ruled out your theory.

 

[Fizzler]

Doesn't sound at all plausible that Brisbane would wear maroon shorts with their red Fitzroy jumper, but maybe there's more to the story.

It’s entirely possible that they wear new blue or red ones, and it’s not impossible for the Lions to go back to a Fitzroy style blue shorts at home set up