Discussion Full 2024 AFL Kit Matchup Spreadsheet

[caloschwaby]

Hi all, said I was keen on getting this done as a resource that I'm sure will also give a good space to discuss the niche topic of the intricacies and nuances of kit matchups in the AFL.

At first this is my opinion of what would be the ideal kits for every possible matchup across the entire 2024 AFL season (which will obviously need doing up each year), but I'm happy for this to be an interactive list that could be discussed through and updated to reflect the general consensus.

Admittedly its embarrassing the AFL doesn't get onto this during the offseason of each year, as it took me a couple hours within an afternoon to finish what AFL House has never - that is, not making it up on the spot. With my original listing I have sought to establish predictability in what kits are worn given the teams aligning with several concepts such as;

• Ensuring the Home team gets priority choice of guernsey, rather than entire kit. There are a couple instances where home teams are forced out of their nominated home uniforms but this is due to that jumper being preferred (Port PBs in home Showdown) or simply that I believe they'd have no issue with given the circumstances (Hawks home in Legends vs GWS).
• The assumption that in an ideal world teams are a lot more willing to work together to reach a pragmatic approach for uniform matchups and aren't petty about white/dark shorts.
• The "white shorts = away" policy has been moved on from as a general rule and instead exists as an exception reserved mostly for games between clubs with Victorian/VFL heritage where I've deemed the historical aesthetic outweighs the negative of not having complete and perfect contrast.
• Doesn't account for ANZAC/Indigenous/Other kits as the possible permutations is too much to go through but ideally clubs would design these special kits around the knowledge of who they're likely to be playing and consult a table like this to avoid contrast issues.
• I also wanted to "protect" some matchups with historical value, otherwise some solid kit matchups would rarely, if ever, be seen again. Namely most of the Vic v Vic, but also Adelaide in their home against Port's home Showdown. I'd also put in a historical Collingwood v Carlton matchup amongst this if I were able to mock up a white/black shorts version of the Pies' home kit.

I'd like to thank and credit Mero for the immaculate thumbnails used for this spreadsheet from the FJGD bible over at www.footyjumpers.com, an amazing resource that makes the stuff we talk about here impossible without. That being said this spreadsheet is limited to kits that have officially been released/worn in games thus far aside from special kits as mentioned before.

Unfortunately because of this, a fair amount of the clash/away kits do not have coloured shorts that in my ideal world would have made up for certain matchups. Teams that come to mind for this are Essendon, Adelaide with red shorts, Brisbane with yellow/royal blue shorts, WC royal blue shorts and Richmond with yellow shorts. By no means an exhaustive list, but just keep in mind when seeing white shorts away for teams like that most often I'd prefer them in those coloured shorts.

Calo's Full 2024 AFL Kit Matchup Spreadsheet - until I can figure out a way to embed it here's the link, plus also the image version below.

 

[caloschwaby]

Just in case the link gets Zucc'd

 

[mcgarnacle]

Looks a fair task and effort.

I think you've got SYD wearing white shorts in too many away matches. White away shorts needs to be binned, and it doesn't apply much to SYD anyway. It's only required @ BL and GC because it has too. GWS wear their third black strip in all games v SYD, so that allows the Swans to wear their full home kit in this away game.

SYDwear the full South home kit in away games in Melbourne. White shorts aren't required in any match, even in games @ ESS, MEL, & STK. The red on these strips is minimal with these clubs respective home strips.

 

[caloschwaby]

Looks a fair task and effort.

I think you've got SYD wearing white shorts in too many away matches. White away shorts needs to be binned, and it doesn't apply much to SYD anyway. It's only required @ BL and GC because it has too. GWS wear their third black strip in all games v SYD, so that allows the Swans to wear their full home kit in this away game.

SYDwear the full South home kit in away games in Melbourne. White shorts aren't required in any match, even in games @ ESS, MEL, & STK. The red on these strips is minimal with these clubs respective home strips.

It's just my aesthetic preference, they have the kit so they should use it more than once a season if that. Not like they're just wearing white shorts just because, its a white-backed jumper which is technically a throwback to the original Sydney Swans kits and white shorts go along with that best.

It's also done to be predictable - Sydney wear their Opera House white-back/white shorts "away kit" vs any Interstate opponents away, and then their Sth Melbourne white-back/white shorts kit vs Victorian clubs (excl. Geel/Norf) when they travel down which they mostly do anyway.

As per the OP I don't believe white shorts = away need to be binned entirely, just used properly, and in this instance where they aren't contributing to a greater clash/lessening the contrast I think they're perfectly fine.

However if you mean that white shorts being the only away shorts needs to be binned - fully agree. It's a multi-million dollar sport, clubs should have many combinations of guernsey/shorts available for any potential matchup.

 

[mcgarnacle]

It's just my aesthetic preference, they have the kit so they should use it more than once a season if that. Not like they're just wearing white shorts just because, its a white-backed jumper which is technically a throwback to the original Sydney Swans kits and white shorts go along with that best.

It's also done to be predictable - Sydney wear their Opera House white-back/white shorts "away kit" vs any Interstate opponents away, and then their Sth Melbourne white-back/white shorts kit vs Victorian clubs (excl. Geel/Norf) when they travel down which they mostly do anyway.

As per the OP I don't believe white shorts = away need to be binned entirely, just used properly, and in this instance where they aren't contributing to a greater clash/lessening the contrast I think they're perfectly fine.

However if you mean that white shorts being the only away shorts needs to be binned - fully agree. It's a multi-million dollar sport, clubs should have many combinations of guernsey/shorts available for any potential matchup.

Fair enough. Thanks for the justifications. Yes, your final paragraph is my view on the shorts.

I know BL & SYD contribute to it, but I'm not a fan of clubs releasing away strips are rehash of their main kit. ADE & GWS for example. At least BL & SYD have a heritage reason for it.