Portfolio AFL x ADIDAS

[Dylan8]

As Rex Hunt once said, "Ohhhh how good is this!"

Probably a few of those patterns/designs that wouldn't be overly popular if they were worn IRL, but conceptually this whole thing is brilliant! The jackets need to be rushed into production yesterday. They actually hit on a real bugbear of mine, which is that the choice of merch for fans is either the "official" gear plastered with a variety of sponsors, or the generic licenced Playcorp crap. Really missing that middle ground market of good quality merch made by the apparel sponsor, but in a nice bespoke design in club colours.

Yep. Punters love shitty polo shirts. I would kill for something like the gear I've posted below. The jackets in that '88 Grand Final parade photo don't even have a club logo on them, but they are still distinctly Melbourne. ****ing cool. The perfect middle ground - not plastered with club logos and sponsors, but those who know, know.

Adidas doesn't even do anything for Hawthorn. Just a few totally dull jackets that might aswell have been manufactured by ISC or anyone else. No character at all. Why?

I'd imagine a West Coast track jacket with the wings design would sell more than anything else in the club shop, yet ISC just shit out the same characterless, template dross in club colours and slap the logos on.

It feels like footy merch is designed with minimal effort in and appealing only to fat old dads who wanna look like their team's coach, who is also probably a fat guy.

 

[Red Crow]

Yep. Punters love shitty polo shirts. I would kill for something like the gear I've posted below. The jackets in that '88 Grand Final parade photo don't even have a club logo on them, but they are still distinctly Melbourne. ******* cool. The perfect middle ground - not plastered with club logos and sponsors, but those who know, know.

Adidas doesn't even do anything for Hawthorn. Just a few totally dull jackets that might aswell have been manufactured by ISC or anyone else. No character at all. Why?

I'd imagine a West Coast track jacket with the wings design would sell more than anything else in the club shop, yet ISC just shit out the same characterless, template dross in club colours and slap the logos on.

It feels like footy merch is designed with minimal effort in and appealing only to fat old dads who wanna look like their team's coach, who is also probably a fat guy.

View attachment 857922

Yep, all of this. I reckon a big problem is the standard MO of bringing out new designs of all the merch each year. This means its much easier for the manufacturer to come up with a standard template and change the colour overlay to suit each of the clubs in their portfolio. In all honesty, why is there this need to bring out a new style of every piece of apparel every year? Sometimes they're barely any different. Is anybody really going to care if the same polo is used for a couple of years? Reducing the need to bring out a full new range each year would free up the ability to get individually creative with each team and bring out some great, unique products. Then again, I'm not in the apparel business so maybe I'm way off the mark. But it just feels like it could be done way better.

As an aside, that 97 Crows jacket is my new whale. I got my 98 one a couple of years back, but the 97 is much harder to come across.

 

[Freight Train]

As Rex Hunt once said, "Ohhhh how good is this!"

Probably a few of those patterns/designs that wouldn't be overly popular if they were worn IRL, but conceptually this whole thing is brilliant! The jackets need to be rushed into production yesterday. They actually hit on a real bugbear of mine, which is that the choice of merch for fans is either the "official" gear plastered with a variety of sponsors, or the generic licenced Playcorp crap. Really missing that middle ground market of good quality merch made by the apparel sponsor, but in a nice bespoke design in club colours.

It’s really such a massive shame.

There’s a massive market for retro AFL stock, as there is with just about any sport, and as decent as some of the First 18 gear is, it’s a case of so close yet so far away.

 

[Dylan8]

Yep, all of this. I reckon a big problem is the standard MO of bringing out new designs of all the merch each year. This means its much easier for the manufacturer to come up with a standard template and change the colour overlay to suit each of the clubs in their portfolio. In all honesty, why is there this need to bring out a new style of every piece of apparel every year? Sometimes they're barely any different. Is anybody really going to care if the same polo is used for a couple of years? Reducing the need to bring out a full new range each year would free up the ability to get individually creative with each team and bring out some great, unique products. Then again, I'm not in the apparel business so maybe I'm way off the mark. But it just feels like it could be done way better.

As an aside, that 97 Crows jacket is my new whale. I got my 98 one a couple of years back, but the 97 is much harder to come across.

Is it too much to ask for something bold and cool? Something fashionable? You could line up all the Port gear of the last 8 season we've had with ISC and I couldn't tell you which season any of them are from. I've got a padded vest from one season that I haven't thought about replacing because they all look exactly the same every year, even though they aren't.

That Crows jacket definitely ain't bespoke, but the design is way cooler than anything else going.

https://www.adidas.com.au/track-jacket/FM2201.html

This track jacket I just found on the Adidas could be coloured in any team's colours and be tidier than any other present piece of merch.

https://hawksnestonline.com.au/full-zip-jacket-

What is this? It's crap. Sponsors on the sleeve, the front and the back. Why does everything have to turn you into a walking billboard? Nothing casual or cool about it.

 

[jarrod_island_doggies]

New management at Adidas? I remember a while ago they weren't the happiest multi-national when bigfooty designs were involved...

That said, brilliant work on the entire range

 

[Supreme_Chancellor]

Bloody sensational work. It’s really telling when someone on the internet can do a far better job than billion dollar corporations.
Especially love your effort with North. The 3 stripes of Adidas would work so well with our gear.

 

[Port Man]

Excellent job Dylan. Those jackets are absolutely superb!

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Great thread. Loved everything bar the ochre in West Coast

 

[flamingEMBERS]

would really love clubs to be a bit more creative with background patterns especially since pretty much all clubs won't change their home jumper now.

 

[SFgiant]

This is awesome. Reminded me of the old Saints' Adidas jackets.

 

[Dylan8]

This is awesome. Reminded me of the old Saints' Adidas jackets.

That's what my Saints jacket was based on

 

[TommyLogan#44]

Brilliantly creative portfolio mate, really enjoyed all the unexpected twists on the classic guernseys. I think so many of the guernseys are treated as too pure or classic to play around with, so I love seeing guernseys like collingwoods, richmonds, essendons and even the old prison bars get a bit of a fun twist. Could seriously get around the style of the double V on the port away too. Should bring that in NOW.
Also, I seriously thing that should be Carlton's clash. Just a navy logo on a white or cream kit, with the navy section up the top. Looks clean.