This week’s side is based on players that had a fashionable item that was uncommon amongst their footy uniform or were the first to go with a trend. I am sure to have missed some players, so please advise of any others.
FB: Corey Enright Tony Campbell Michael Reeves
CHB: Bruce Doull Paul Roos Mil Hanna
C: Keith Greig Chris Judd Deven Robertson
CHF: Nathan Brown Dermott Brereton James Hird
FF: Craig McKellar Geoff Blethyn Phil Narkle
Ruck: Jim Stynes Michael Tuck Garry Wilson
Interchange from: Tom Alvin, Kevin Bartlett, Warwick Capper, Vin Catoggio, Michael Conlan, Mason Cox, Carl Ditterich, Jason Dunstall, Gerard Healy, Tony Liberatore, Mani Liddy, Robert McGhie, Kevin Murray, Joel Selwood, Tom Stewart, Shane Tuck and Greg Williams.
Coach: John Kennedy
Assistant: Tom Hafey
Corey Enright (Speedos)
332 games, Geelong (2001-2016)
In the last round of 2007, Corey Enright had a wardrobe malfunction when he had his shorts ripped off. Enright remained on the ground for approx, two minutes until a new pair were run out to him. While he remained on the ground, he racked up a possession running through the centre in just a pair of blue speedos.
Footscray’s Tony Campbell [Source: Author]
Tony Campbell (Gloves)
118 games, Melbourne and Footscray (1986-1993, 1996)
Campbell is seen as the first player to wear gloves after he was traded to Footscray in 1992. So invested in them was Campbell, that he actually had his own brand for a short while. A few players wore them with the trend taking off after Gary Ablett Senior started wearing them the following year. Quinton Lynch made it really popular with his iconic move of taking his glove off when having a set shot at goal, sending the home crowd in raptures when he did this when he was outside 50m.
Michael Reeves (Knickerbockers)
63 games, North Melbourne and Fitzroy (1980-1987)
Reeves towards the end of his career wore padded knickerbockers which were at knee length. Reeves was apparently suspectable to corkies, so the padded knickerbockers gave him protection when he played as the second ruck.
Carlton’s Bruce Doull [Source: Author]
356 games, Carlton (1969-1986)
While there have been a few players who have worn the sweat/headband (Kamdyn McIntosh being the current poster boy for the look), Bruce Doull is the most famous/iconic wearer. The first time I could find Doull with a headband on was on a 1975 footy card; he didn’t have one on in the 1973 Grand Final. Doull rarely lost his headband in a match but was not too pleased when Cameron Clayton took it off his head and Tony Buhagiar threw into the crowd. A headband Doull wore is at the Australian Sports Museum.
Sydney’s Paul Roos [Source: Author]
356 games, Fitzroy and Sydney (1982-1998)
Roos late in his career also had thigh issues that were so badly corked they required surgery to stop the bleeding. This was almost ten years after Reeves, and Roos wore large thigh pads like an NFL player that looked like it was a mattress protecting his leg.
Mil Hanna (Bald cranium)
190 games Carlton (1986-1997)
While I could probably do a side of the best haircuts, I have put a couple of iconic ones in this team. Hanna’s style was not due to a haircut, he suffered from alopecia and in era when mullets was the haircut of choice, Hanna’s baldness was rare among footballers. Personally, I cannot recall in my time from 1980 onwards of a clean shaven player until Hanna played. Baldness was the haircut of choice in the 2000s for footballers that were challenged by their follicles like Chris Judd, Gary Ablett Junior and now Max Gawn.
North Melbourne’s Keith Greig [Source: Author]
294 games, North Melbourne (1971-1985)
Greig was known for playing on the wing near the Gasometer at Arden Street and wearing white anklets. The anklets stood out during Greig’s long runs, where the whiteness could be seen just above his football boots. Greig admitted recently on the Front Bar that there was nothing wrong with his ankles, he wore them to stand out.
Chris Judd (Shoulder Bandages)
279 games, West Coast and Carlton (2002-2015)
While many players wear shoulder strapping, the most famous is Chris Judd. Judd wore them from his first game in 2002 and still had them in his last game, rarely playing a match without them. Judd had chronic shoulder problems in 2001 in his draft year. A famous sledge attributed to Judd was in his first game for Carlton against West Coast his opponent asked him about the number of bandages on his shoulders. Judd replied that his shoulders were still sore after carrying his former teammates for the last five years.
Deven Robertson (No Jumper)
46 games, Brisbane (2020- )
Many players have had their jumper ripped off, but Robertson is one that stands out. Robertson though was happy to stay out on the ground for seven minutes without a jumper to show off his rig before receiving a replacement. One of the benefits possibly for Robertson was his Instagram went from 11.1k followers before the game to 19.4k after the game.
Nathan Brown (Short socks)
219 games, Western Bulldogs and Richmond (1997-2009)
Brown was fined $5k in 2001 for wearing cut socks which made them shorter. While many players have their socks down, Brown was fined for having his socks altered. In 2005 Scott West and Daniel Giansiracusa were fined $2,500 for another crackdown on short socks.
Dermott Brereton (Green boots)
211 games, Hawthorn, Sydney and Collingwood (1982-1995)
In 1986 black was the chosen colour for a football boot, though there was the occasionally white boot, and some Tigers wore yellow boots. Brereton was perhaps the biggest star in football in 1986 and at half time in every match he swapped his black boots for fluoro green Adidas boots given to him by Ted Whitten.
James Hird (Face mask)
253 games, Essendon (1992-2007)
In 2002 against Fremantle at Perth, Hird’s face collided with teammate Mark McVeigh’s knee. Hird was running with the flight of the ball and suffered several serious face fractures that were more commonly seen in a car crash. Hird missed nine weeks after having reconstructive surgery which required seven plates in his face. He wore a protective face mask when he returned for the remainder of the 2002 season.
Richmond’s Craig McKellar [Source: Author]
135 games, Richmond and Melbourne (1971-1978)
The lace up jumper was a popular fashion jumper in the 1970s and ’80s until Robert Flower and Brian Wilson got their fingers caught up in the lace and the resulting injury was a broken finger and several missed weeks. The lace up jumper was very popular at Tigerland having been introduced there by Craig McKellar who had worn one at Woodville. Kevin Bartlett popularised the jumper wearing it for most his career with others like Bourke, McGhie, Malthouse, Cloke, Clay and Sheedy wearing them in premierships.
Essendon’s Geoff Blethyn [Source: Author]
84 games, Essendon (1968-1972, 1976)
Blethyn famously wore glasses due to continuing to lose contact lenses while playing. Blethyn kicked 107 goals in 1972 but then moved interstate and did not play again in 1976. The glasses were specially made, where the glass could only come out in the front and the frames were made of nylon and flexible.
St Kilda’s Phil Narkle [Source: Author]
66 games, St Kilda and West Coast (1984-1987, 1990)
Narkle wore a helmet but unlike players like Rod Ashman and Garry Wilson, Narkle’s helmet was like a motorcyclist’s hard helmet which he had painted in red, white, and black panels. Narkle had suffered several concussions before he came to St Kilda.
Jim Stynes (Cap)
264 games, Melbourne (1987-1998)
In a preseason match on a hot Sunday Afternoon in Brisbane in late February 1994, Jim Stynes wore a cap while playing in the ruck. The cap though would not survive until half time with Bears players Dion Scott and Matthew Kennedy combining in ripping the cap off Stynes head with Kennedy eventually ripping in half and tossing it to the ground. In games earlier this year bald headed umpire Matthew Nicholls umpired with a cap on in the afternoon heat.
Michael Tuck (Short Sleeves)
426 games, Hawthorn, (1972-1991)
Michael Tuck spent the majority of his career in a long sleeve jumper. 1987 Grand Final was different with Hawthorn playing Carlton in 31 degree heat and Tuck playing ruck rover, he changed his jumper at half time for a short sleeve version. The change did not help as Hawthorn went down by 33 points.
Fitzroy’s Gary Wilson [Source: Author]
Gary Wilson (Helmet)
268 games, Fitzroy, (1971-1984)
While Phil Narkle wore what looked like a motorcyclist helmet, the foam padded cyclist helmet made its debut in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the likes of Fitzroy defenders Chris Smith, Chris Hansen and rover Gary Wilson and Carlton’s Rodney Ashman wearing them. My first memory of a player wearing them is Wilson, hence why he was selected and not Ashman. The V/AFL developed a helmet suitable for Australian rules and players later to be full time wearers of the helmet included the likes of Nathan Burke, Shaun Hart, Jude Bolton and today with GWS’s Darcy Jones and North Melbourne’s tallest and smallest players in Tristian Xerri and Caleb Daniel.
Carlton’s Tom Alvin [Source: Author]
218 games, Carlton, (1984-1994)
If I do a hairstyle side one day Alvin will make it. While some players especially in 1970s had shoulder length hair, Alvin was much longer and nearly half way down his back, sometimes covering up some of his Number 31.
Richmond’s Kevin Bartlett [Source: Author]
403 games, Richmond, (1965-1983)
Another hairstyle and this one is a classic and is not seen today or probably has not being seen since Bartlett. When players get to Bartlett’s stage of hair loss now, they shave it all off, whereas KB went with the comb over.
Sydney’s Warwick Capper [Source: Author]
124 games, Sydney and Brisbane (1983-1991)
The most famous shorts in Aussie Rules belong to Warwick Capper. While shorts in the 1980s were often shorter and tighter than they are today, Capper’s shorts were one or two sizes tighter again. The skintight shorts, white boots and blonde mullet were all important tools for Capper to help sell the game in Sydney.
Carlton’s Vin Catoggio [Source: Author]
88 games, Carlton, Melbourne and Sydney (1973-1983)
The last hair style I have in this team. There are no mullets, buzzcuts, dreadlocks, cornrows, or dyed hair colours in this team. Just some originality and possibly rare ones. Catoggio’s afro was rare and is still rare to this day, making the small rover/forward stand out from the other smalls of Carlton’s mosquito fleet.
Fitzroy’s Michael Conlan [Source: Author]
210 games, Fitzroy, (1977-1989)
Some may consider this a stretch but as a child when I think of glistening oil rubbed on a footballer’s arms, I think of Mickey Conlan who also stood out with his huge muscles. Others since may stand out but Conlan’s physique was a work of art…and something that he continues to work on, still looking good in his 60s now.
Collingwood’s Mason Cox [Source: Author]
Mason Cox (Goggles)
136 games, Collingwood (2015- )
Cox started wearing prescription googles in 2022 after having surgery on both his eyes after they had been poked with one eye suffering a torn retina. Cox wears them to stop the glare as his eyes cannot deal with bright lights and they are specially made for him in Colac. The other player to wear protective googles was Chris Stone of St Kilda who wore protective squash googles in his career from 1978-1981. That look must have worked as he ended up marrying the Belgian prime minister.
Carl Ditterich (Headband)
285 games, St Kilda and Melbourne (1963-1980)
Carl Ditterich was one of the first to rock the big headband that is now used by Bailey Smith and Darcy Moore. While more headband than sweatband it is really like a piece of cloth or handkerchief to stop the hair getting in the eyes.
Hawthorn’s Jason Dunstall [Source: Author]
269 games, Hawthorn (1985-1998)
Dunstall wore a helmet that was slightly different to those mentioned in Gary Wilson as it was used to protect his skull after copping an accidentally knock to the temple against Earl Spalding while marking. Dunstall missed four weeks with the injury before playing the second half of 1990 with the helmet.
Gerard Healy (Corset)
211 games, Melbourne and Sydney (1979-1991)
Towards the end of his 1988 Brownlow winning year, Healy was suffering distress from a groin injury. To get him through with the Swans still a finals chance, Healy wore a corset under his shorts to help with the pain.
Tony Liberatore (Knee brace)
283 games, Footscray/Western Bulldogs (1986-2002)
Liberatore suffered a knee injury that required a reconstruction in Round 5, 1998 and returned to play in Round 21 the same year. He wore very thick protective padding upon his return that was similar to the Paul Roos mattress on his thigh.
Mani Liddy (One long pant/leg sleeve)
4 games, Port Adelaide, (2025- )
Liddy was picked up by Port Adelaide in this year’s mid-season draft. Liddy stands out as he wears a single leg compression sleeve. In July 2024 he was close to having his leg amputated. At the time playing for Central Districts, Liddy tackled someone in a night match and got cut by the back of their boots. Liddy got cleaned and stitched up at three quarter time and played the rest of the game. He was later on antibiotics, his knee blew up and he went to hospital where he spent two nights. Liddy had sepsis and had two bouts of surgery where he had his leg cut further to remove the infection. Liddy returned to play finals later in the year.
Robert McGhie (Smoking a cigarette on the ground)
146 games Footscray, Richmond and South Melbourne (1969-1981)
McGhie is featured in a famous Rennie Ellis photo after the 1974 Grand Final. Richmond had just won, and McGhie is tying up his shoelaces wearing a lace up jumper, with tattoos on display (tattoo were also rare on footballers in 1974), while smoking a cigarette which had just been handed to him by the boot studder.
Kevin Murray (Tattoo)
333 games, Fitzroy, (1955-1964, 1967-1974)
Murray had a tattoo on his left bicep which was very uncommon for footballers in the 1960s. The tattoo was visible when playing as Murray wore a short sleeve jumper, however twice Murray wore a long sleeve jumper to cover up the tattoo. The first time was when receiving his 1969 Brownlow Medal on the request of his dad (there was no Brownlow night in 1969, winners were presented the medal during the finals on the ground. The second time was when Fitzroy played Richmond in 1970 in front of the Queen. When the players were presented to the Queen at half time, Murray changed his jumper from a short sleeve jumper to a long sleeve in respect of Her Majesty.
Joel Selwood (Head bandage)
355 games, Geelong, (2007-2022)
Selwood is as tough a footballer as there has been in the last 20 years and being at the bottom of the packs Selwood often had blood coming from his head and was required to go off and be bandaged up. I would doubt anybody has worn more head bandages that Selwood, especially in more recent years.
Tom Stewart (Hairpiece)
183 games, Geelong, (2017- )
I have put Tom Stewart in as Geelong representative in this team. Apart from being very good footballers the Geelong backline players of Tom Stewart, Jack Henry, Zach Guthrie, Mark Blicavs, Sam De Koning along with Ollie Dempsey (who perhaps wants to play in the backline), all wear a hair piece that is not a headband to keep their hair out of their eyes.
Shane Tuck (Ear Bandage)
173 games, Richmond, (2004-2013)
Tuck wore a bandage on his ear as he suffered from perforated ear drum. In 2009 the Bulldogs questioned whether he was wearing an ear piece under the bandage.
Greg Williams (Arm guard)
250 games Geelong, Sydney and Carlton (1984-1997)
Williams wore a flesh coloured arm guard on his right arm for the later part of his career. The arm guard was prominent when he pushed aside umpire Andrew Coates in 1997 and was given a nine week suspension.
Coach John Kennedy (Coat)
412 games, Hawthorn and North Melbourne (1957, 1960-1963, 1967-1976, 1985-1989)
Kennedy at Hawthorn was known for wearing his trademark brown overcoat which was immortalised in the statue of John Kennedy that stands at Waverley Park.
Assistant Tom Hafey (T-shirt)
522 games, Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong and Sydney (1966-1988)
Hafey was the opposite of John Kennedy, in that Hafey did not feel the cold and his uniform of choice was a T-shirt (generally made by Adidas) on match day.
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Interesting article. Prior to 1980, Sam Newman from Geelong was one of the first football players to wear white boots, likely in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Dressing gowns were worn by players when they were on the bench or during breaks. Of course, goal umpires used to wear long white coats and VFL footballers in the early days, used to wear long trousers before transitioning to shorts.
Imagine the reaction if a player wore Phil Narkle’s helmet in today’s AFL football. Carl Ditterich wore both a headband and a handkerchief.
As this is a Fashions on the Field team, perhaps Supermodel Elle Macpherson could be the number 1 ticketholder, like she was at one stage with St Kilda and later with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Rugby league team.
To complete the Fashions on the Field, The Carlton Bluebirds could provide half time entertainment, if these team played a match against another team. As long as Helen D’Amico, the streaker in the 1982 VFL Grand Final between Carlton and Richmond, stays off the field and well away from Bruce Doull.