Change of jumpers for Pies? Don't think so

[Rowdy4ever]

Some wanker on the radio last had a sook about Eddie basically saying we would never change our strip to avoid clashes. He actually said it was disgusting - what a F***ing tosser. The AFL was created from the VFL not the SAFL. Give a shit that Port have been around longer. We are more deserved of that jumper than they could ever be.

Stick to your wussy teal, you boring old wanker. Just remember the first time you played your AFL game.

[MagpieMad]

Rowdy4ever m8 have a look at the thread I have linked here, which would totaly stick the issue up ports claim to OUR magnificent jumper! was ours first, is ours now, and will be forever!!! you say black and white and people think of Collingwood.
http://www.magpies.net/nick/ubb/Forum1/HTML/004310.html

[Brown26]

It was ours first anyway - people who claim it wasn't don't know their history - we got the Magpie and stripes from the SA state symbols or what ever thay are - way back at the begining. so go figure. mPort supporters can't read anyway so they can't check the history!!

Pies for Premiers 2002, 3, 4, 5, 6....

[Dr Alf Andrews]

There are two separate issues being raised here. One is the respective claims to the black and white colours and the magpie emblem. That is a cut-and-dried issue. Collingwood are the Magpies. Collingwood are the black-and-whites. End of story.

The matter of alternative strips to avoid jumper clashes is something else again.

The predominantly black Collingwood jumper that was introduced last season has created problems. It's actually most noticeable in matches against St.Kilda and Carlton. When we had our predominantly white jumper with the black numbers there was no real problem, particularly in games when we wore white shorts.

At the very least, we need two distinctive strips. The old predominantly white jumper, worn with white shorts, would be an excellent strip to have when we're playing clubs with mostly dark jumpers and white numbers (e.g. Carlton, Essendon, St.Kilda, Melbourne)

Our new jumper ... the one that is mostly black ... should NEVER be worn with white shorts. It just confuses the issue. It should be worn with black shorts in matches against light coloured teams like Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong (in white shorts) and the Kangaroos.

In the case of matches between Port and Collingwood, I think you could just about eliminate the need for either side to wear a different strip if Port wore white shorts and Collingwood wore the mostly black strip with black shorts. This should happen regardless of which side is playing at home.

I really think most of the problem comes down to this ancient tradition of the away side always wearing white shorts. This is where flexibility is needed. The choice of which side is to wear white shorts should be made on the basis of maximising the contrast between the appearance of the two sides. It should not be made on the basis of which side is the "visitor".

For example, when we play Carlton we should ALWAYS wear our old mostly white jumper with black numbers and white shorts and let Carlton wear navy blue shorts. ALWAYS. Same with Essendon, Melbourne, St.Kilda ... and probably Richmond as well.

As for the use of "foreign" colours, such as St.Kilda's yellow strip ... there are actually very few situations in which this is warranted. It should only be done when there is no other way of providing a clear contrast between the two sides. But Collingwood should be mature enough to be prepared to do this if necessary. And Collingwood should also be mature enough to be prepared to give up the "right" to wear black shorts at home games in some circumstances, in the interests of improving the game as a spectacle.

I'm sick to death of trying to watch matches in which it is almost impossible to tell the teams apart when the ball is at the other end of the ground.

And please don't give me that baloney about "tradition". All VFL clubs abandoned tradition in the mid 1970s when they allowed sponsors' logos on their jumpers. That was THE END of tradition when it comes to footy jumpers.

Collingwood's present jumper is NOT traditional. It was introduced last year as a blatant piece of merchandising, so stop being so bloody precious about it.

floreat pica
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My Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" is now available for viewing and/or downloading at http://alf.magpies.net