AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has scrapped the idea of putting names on jumpers after a trial in Round 5 this season.
McLachlan said the font size of the names wasn’t able to be seen at the ground or on TV because of the “style and cut of the jumpers”.
“They (jumpers) are tighter than ever and they’re cut in around the arms, they don’t have sleeves,” he said.
Ok Gil, thanks for pointing out AFL jumpers don’t have sleeves. However last time I watched a soccer match, I don’t recall the names being on the sleeves! It amazes me how basketball manage to get the names of players onto singlets given the ‘cut’ of a singlet.
The solution is straight forward – increase the font size. Yes, either the number or the sponsor’s logo beneath it have to be reduced in size to accommodate this.
Perhaps this is the real reason the names have been binned – there’s not enough room on the jumper for the name in a readable size and the sponsor’s logo. Commercial realities mean there is no way the sponsor’s logo is going to downsize or disappear. I guess jumper sponsors must bring in more dollars than any potential spike in sales of jumpers bearing names.
As for when this issue might be revisited, McLachlan was fairly blunt, “I won’t be revisiting it in my lifetime, I don’t think.”
20 round season
As the AFL season hits another momentum killer – yet another split round – there have been calls for a shorter season of 20 matches, most notably from North Melbourne president James Brayshaw.
This season there have been two split rounds plus three weekends of reduced matches, meaning the the 22 game home-and-away season has been spread over 25 weeks.
The AFL Players Association had called for two byes to give the players an extra break, but the players don’t seem to be getting the time off over a bye week as they use to, meaning the two byes has drawn the season out longer without giving the players rest.
I’m not sure all clubs would be in favour of a shortened season due to the revenue drop from one less home game. TV networks would not want a reduction in their current number of games for broadcast.
There may have been an opportunity to switch to a 20-game season and not adversely affect the broadcast agreements in 2012 when the AFL first moved to an 18-team competition and nine games per round. Prior to 2012, 22 rounds of eight matches meant 176 games for broadcast and 20 rounds of nine games would have meant 180 games. There would have been no drop in the number of games for the broadcasters, but that opportunity has probably passed.
A public holiday
The Victorian Labor Party, currently in opposition, has promised to introduce a public holiday on the Friday before the AFL grand final if it wins the state election.
Is this good news for footy fans? Would the holiday allow more fans to get to the grand final parade, which already occurs during school holidays?
What would the day be called? AFL grand final eve holiday? Is it right to have another public holiday for a sporting event?
Like the Melbourne Cup, would the holiday be for the Melbourne metro area only, with regional areas taking the holiday the day before local grand finals?
Do fans want a holiday prior to the grand final or would they prefer the Monday off to continue with the celebrations or commiserations?
Is this just reinstating the long-lost September public holiday of Show Day by another name?
So many questions, but most Victorians would be happy with a day off during the long, barren, public-holiday free months between the Queen’s Birthday in early June and the first Tuesday in November.
Finally…
Rumours are circulating Tom Jones will be performing at the AFL grand final. Seems about par for the acts the AFL hire for the big day.
Johnno
Guest
AFL could improve 1)Saturday Night Grand final 7.00pm kick-off 2)Public holiday on friday silly idea, Monday after AFL GF is a public holiday anyway
Maggie
Guest
Ha! Yes I thought your pen/keyboard might be hovering re Tippett. Well the answer has been provided tonight. Franklin, Tippett, Goodes, Reid will all line up against Hawthorn on Saturday night. (But sadly neither Hannebery or Shaw). Hopefully a high quality, exciting match.
Axle an the guru
Guest
I dont know either Maggie bit of a braindead idea for cricket,a sponsor would make more sence. BTW when is Tippett going to play again,better be soon or I'm going to use that WOFTAM word again :-)
Axle an the guru
Guest
Its probly easier to work out the NRL side by there sponsor as they change there jerseys for H&A so drastically.
Maggie
Guest
Fair point, but 'more difficult' means 'not as easy' not 'impossible'. (I actually don't know why they have numbers on cricketers' shirts; does anyone recognise a cricketer by their number?? But that's a separate discussion.)
Michael
Guest
Rather the AFL is 20th century then 16th century like the NRL.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Theres only 9 fieldsmen,a bowler,a keeper 2 batsmen and two umpires on the field for a game of cricket Maggie and they are all relatively motionless where as during a footy match there are 36 players and 9 umps plus a couple runners all going in all directions. You know all this but my point is it would make it more difficult to read the names during a footy match.
Knoxy
Guest
Really? It looked like they were a bit smaller to me. Either way, I still found it more difficult to read the numbers from a distance.
Cat
Roar Guru
Number size didn't change during the trial ...
Knoxy
Guest
Agree. I went to the Collingwood v North Melbourne game when they trialled the names on the jumpers and I actually found it more difficult to identify the players because the numbers were smaller and less distinguishable. I also agree regarding the sponsors on AFL jumpers not being too bad. When watching the NRL, I can barely tell who's who with all the tacky rubbish they have on their playing strips.
Maggie
Guest
Works just fine on one day cricket shirts and cricket is played on the same grounds as AFL. The reason is because the advertising logos are only on the front of the cricketers' shirts, not taking up space on the back. That means the numbers are lower down on the shirts and there is more room for the names. And before someone says "yes but they have sleeves and more width on cricketers' shirts", have a look at the design of the Australian cricketers' ODI shirts. The names are inside a highlight colour strip which follows the same line as the cut of an AFL jumper. If the AFL wanted to make it work they could. They have just found an excuse not to try. Personally, I refuse to pay $5 for the Record just to look up numbers for opposition players I don't know. So I have downloaded every AFL team's app on my phone and look up numbers on that as and when I need.
MAF1970
Guest
Thats a fair call Gene - I was being a tad tongue in cheek with the extreme surnames and it took a bit of thought to come up with the 3 names I came up with. I look it at though from an aspect of being at a live game and it being difficult enough at times to pick up the number of the player when they are at the opposite side or end of the ground let alone getting any assistance from the names on the jumper. I appreciate not everyone has poor eyesight like me but on a field the size of what we play on I don't think there would much benefit and if it ends up being for TV then you have the assistance of the game being commentated to recognise the players (unless Brian Taylor is commentating but thats another topic) so it makes them a bit redundant.
Cat
Roar Guru
So by your logic its better for someone new to the game to have to look up all 720 players via the record rather than to look up the occasional one or two whose names may be too long to fit.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
It's a cross code stalemate. The AFL wants two full bye-rounds. but doesn't want to concede airtime to the NRL. The NRL wants to halt the comp to give Origin players a rest and to ensure clubs don't go without their stars, but doesn't want to concede airtime to the AFL. What if the two agreed to both have byes on the same weekend. Crazy I know...
Epiquin
Roar Guru
No, they want to be elected...
MAF1970
Guest
How much will they need to reduce the size of the logo to fit "Kolodjasnij" across the back of a jumper so it is readable, "Roberts-Thompson" is another that comes to mind or should Dipper have any kids that make the grade "DiPierdomenico". Please don't suggest reducing them to a nickname otherwise those who don't know the players are back to looking at the Record to see who "LRT" actually is........................
TomC
Roar Guru
I for one am glad the AFL has decided not to go with the names on jumpers. It's easy to dismiss it as commercialism, but I suspect if they had gone with the names then the numbers would've shrunk, and for me it least that would have detracted from the experience of watching a game. I'm not a huge fan of sponsor's logos on a playing strip, but I don't think the AFL is as bad for that as some other codes, so I think we should be happy with the balance we've got.
Cat
Roar Guru
"Names on jumpers is, for me, a case of ‘who cares’? We’ve managed with numbers since 1921 and have the Record at our fingertips to put a name to a number. Unless we have slipped a few dozen IQ points in the last generation, why reinvent the wheel ……. And if we HAVE slipped, the viewer probably isn’t able to read anyway, so the point is moot." ------ Whats the harm in shrinking corporate logos on guernsey's so the names can fit properly and be readable? They aren't traditional, they are a sell out blight. New isn't always bad. For people that have grown up on AFL the names are surely not needed, but for immigrants like me being tasked with learning all 720 odd players at once was extremely difficult. If you want to grow the game and attract non-traditional fans you don't make it as difficult as possible, you make it easier.
Adam
Guest
I'll be voting for a 'footy day' public holiday. Now to get point posts next to the Bolte Bridge.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
So much of what has been written on this topic seems to be superfluous if we accept that the AFL will never hand over an entire month of weekends for the NRL to play games as the sole major football code. Whilst the current bye/split round concept remains a major annoyance to myself and many other supporters it does avoid giving the NRL a metaphoric free kick through ensuring as many weekends as possible have at least some AFL footprint. I don't feel the AFL will do anything to change that outcome. Names on jumpers is, for me, a case of 'who cares'? We've managed with numbers since 1921 and have the Record at our fingertips to put a name to a number. Unless we have slipped a few dozen IQ points in the last generation, why reinvent the wheel ....... And if we HAVE slipped, the viewer probably isn't able to read anyway, so the point is moot. A GF holiday? Surely Labor isn't THAT desperate for votes. Why not just make the whole season a holiday and stop work getting in the way of the important things in life? Yes, the sound you can hear is that of dripping sarcasm.