Richmond had joined the party late in the 2000s, adding yellow side panels to their traditional jumper in a bid to avoid clashes against a handful of clubs. But when pitted against Port Adelaide in an elimination final in 2014, it was the higher-ranked Power asked to wear a clash uniform because according to the AFL, the Tigers’ jumper wasn’t sufficiently different to Port’s home one. A compromise was ultimately reached, with the Power wearing their prison bar jumper from the SANFL in a crushing Adelaide Oval win.
THE GRANDEST TESTAfter that kerfuffle, the Tigers stepped it up a notch, changing to an almost all-yellow clash jumper, the inverse of their traditional one.
“We were comfortable with it. It wasn’t without precedent throughout the world in global sport,” Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale recalled during the week.
But a key tension point was reached three years later when the Tigers qualified for their first grand final in 35 years, but as the second-ranked side, below Adelaide, meaning Richmond were asked to wear their clash uniform.
“And we thought ’gee, is the Richmond traditional jumper and the Adelaide traditional jumper, are they that similar? What science do you use? What criteria do you use?” said Gale.
“We decided you’ve got to pick your fights, this is not one worth having. We just decided to embrace it, and we did. And I’m glad we did, because that jumper is part of history and in terms of merchandise sales after the event - clearly it was a lot to do with breaking the premiership drought - it sold very well.
“And the justification for the AFL and the grand final is it’s the biggest event of the year, it’s the biggest TV event, not just domestically but huge interest globally, and we want to do everything that we can to make it as easy as we can for viewers to differentiate between the teams.”
RULES FOR SOME?Even now there is confusion as to what does and does not constitute a clash. When Essendon hosted Carlton last weekend, the Blues, as the away team, still wore their predominantly navy home jumper, with white shorts deemed to be enough of a difference between them and the Dons for the AFL. But when Fremantle play away against the Bombers, they wear their largely white away jumper over their purple home jumper. Collingwood have barely deviated from black and white stripes in a home and away game, these days willing only to allow a predominantly white back for their clash uniform.
“I don’t really know whether it’s consistently applied or not. I don’t really care. I’ve got more important things to worry about,” said Gale.
“We know when we wear it, prior to each year, the games are designated as clash jumper games. I guess what’s unclear is the basis on which they make that assessment. Is there an empirical basis or is there just a secret herbs and spices? I don’t see a clash when Richmond plays Adelaide, but the AFL does, and that’s the part that’s probably less understood. At the end of the day, we just get on with it.”
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/clashes-of-the-titans-the-afl-s-murky-uniform-policies-20210506-p57pcm.html
