I realise this is minor in the grand scheme of things and in no way detracts from last night's win, but why as the home side did we have to wear hooped red and blue socks against the Swans?
Surely if the AFL or the host broadcaster identifies a uniform clash of some kind, it is up to the away side to come up with a solution? We didn't wear these socks in recent seasons so I'm wondering what changed?

Just watching the replay of last night’s game and saw we were wearing red and blue striped socks. 
I’ve never noticed this in my 30+ years of supporting the Dees - I thought we were the Redlegs?! 
If anyone can can advise of any historical wearing of striped socks and why we wore them last night, that’d be fab. 
 

This piece about the AFL's consistently inconsistent uniform policy is also worth a read from today's The Age.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/clashes-of-the-titans-the-afl-s-murky-uniform-policies-20210506-p57pcm.html

Noticed these at the game. Is this the first time we’ve worn these this year?

56 minutes ago, Deemented Are Go! said:

Just watching the replay of last night’s game and saw we were wearing red and blue striped socks. 
I’ve never noticed this in my 30+ years of supporting the Dees - I thought we were the Redlegs?! 
If anyone can can advise of any historical wearing of striped socks and why we wore them last night, that’d be fab. 
 

There was chat about this in the gameday thread I think. Seems it may be to disambiguate our players legs from theirs - e.g. whose leg did an out of bounds on the full come off, etc.

2 minutes ago, gs77 said:

There was chat about this in the gameday thread I think. Seems it may be to disambiguate our players legs from theirs - e.g. whose leg did an out of bounds on the full come off, etc.

Thanks gs, yeah just catching up on the post game thread where it’s mentioned. 
I get the principles around clash uniforms, but everyone (except Buddy) wears their socks down! And Sydney already have hooped socks compared to our solid red. 
We’re the Redlegs, dammit! 

If there is a clash of some sorts, surely it's up to the away side to make a change? It was our home game, yet we were the side that had to alter our uniform. 

Edited May 9, 20213 yr by Swooper Northey

10 minutes ago, gs77 said:

There was chat about this in the gameday thread I think. Seems it may be to disambiguate our players legs from theirs - e.g. whose leg did an out of bounds on the full come off, etc.

We’re the home team. They should have been the ones to change their socks. They should have been wearing fluro yellow for all I care. 

I hadn't noticed the striped socks until I watched the replay today. Maybe because so many players wear very short ones these days. I can't say it really bothers me for that reason. 

As far as the article about the clash guernseys go I think that some clubs are taking the p!ss when it comes to this. Primarily Collingwood and to a lesser extent Essendon and Geelong. Commercially I think clubs that don't have alternative guernseys are missing a trick. I really like Richmond's inverted jumper for example as well as the yellow Crows one with the single red and navy blue band across they chest. The Bulldogs had separate white and red clash guernseys that looked good and even the Sturt styled one Carlton had a few years ago wasn't bad. 

I cant recall seeing red and blue hoops before, but I have recollection of red socks with blue tops (no idea if a true recollection though).

2 minutes ago, Deemented Are Go! said:

Thanks gs, yeah just catching up on the post game thread where it’s mentioned. 
I get the principles around clash uniforms, but everyone (except Buddy) wears their socks down! And Sydney already have hooped socks compared to our solid red. 
We’re the Redlegs, dammit! 

Yeah, I do miss the long red socks. It was a striking part of the uniform. And frankly if our home game I'd rather see them forced into wearing white socks or something against our red ones, but perhaps the clubs have come to this agreement mutually for both home & away.

We've worn different socks against the Swans for years, I feel it's been going for longer than a decade

1 minute ago, Demonland said:

We’re the home team. They should have been the ones to change their socks. They should have been wearing fluro yellow for all I care. 

For clubs with white as one of their primary club colours, I really think that when playing against a team without white, then wearing white shorts should be the norm.

For example Swans wearing white against us looks normal and creates no clash. But usbwearing white introduces uncertainty. It's similar for us v Saints.

 

With the socks, instead of us wearing blue and red, simply making the top of their sock white instead of red would solve the clash, and keep the uniforms very close to normal.

1 minute ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

We've worn different socks against the Swans for years, I feel it's been going for longer than a decade

Including pink for a few years there 

2 minutes ago, Deemented Are Go! said:

Including pink for a few years there 

Yeah we were doing the mothers/women/pink thing on mothers day against them but that seems to have disappeared.

Don't start me on the god-awful AFL clash "policy".

It's a disgrace.

If Sydney's uniform clashes with ours (whether jumper or socks), they should be required to change it to avoid the clash. Not us. Them.

However, there is no sock clash. Sydney's socks have white strips. We didn't wear different socks in last year's Cairns game.

Yep, I was the stirrer who raised it in the after match thread.  As others have now added above, we have always been the Redlegs!  Should stay that way!!  End of story!!

We are The Redlegs, AFL

This is outrageous, changing our uniform 

Stop it immediately. 
 

….Ivan from Ivanhoe….

28 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

We've worn different socks against the Swans for years, I feel it's been going for longer than a decade

We didn't in 2020, 2019 or 2018. And prior to that, when we have had to wear alternate socks, it's been when the match was played in Sydney. It should be our home game, our home uniform.

Edited May 9, 20213 yr by Swooper Northey

I literally lost 0 seconds sleep over this 

11 hours ago, Superunknown said:

I literally lost 0 seconds sleep over this 

Shame on you!!  I haven't slept a wink since I saw that disgrace on my TV screen on Sat night!! 

All true Melb supporters should march to the MCG next Sun arvo in red sox!  (Nothing else, just red sox!!) 

Think that would get the AFL's attention that we are serious about preserving our long held traditions and they can't mess with us?

SOCK IT TO 'EM DEES!!

 

Once upon a time the Swans wore redlegs just like we do, I remember growing up watching them on TV every Sunday they had the solid red socks...since they changed to the hoops I would have thought there was no clash, no idea why we were wearing red and blue socks

54 minutes ago, Vagg said:

Shame on you!!  I haven't slept a wink since I saw that disgrace on my TV screen on Sat night!! 

All true Melb supporters should march to the MCG next Sun arvo in red sox!  (Nothing else, just red sox!!) 

Think that would get the AFL's attention that we are serious about preserving our long held traditions and they can't mess with us?

SOCK IT TO 'EM DEES!!

 

Might be a smidge cold for that Vagg.

It's important that the socks are clean.  We don't want to be associated with dirty hose.

I am disappointed they didn't change into their red socks to sing the anthem after the game :(