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AFL fans rip 'ridiculous' uniform move for Collingwood and Brisbane grand final

Some are questioning the AFL's decision on what the Lions have to wear against the Magpies.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Brisbane and Collingwood, pictured here ahead of the AFL grand final.
Brisbane will wear white shorts in the AFL grand final against Collingwood. Image: Getty

AFL fans are questioning why Brisbane will be forced to wear white shorts in Saturday's grand final against Collingwood, given it's the Pies who have white on their guernsey. Collingwood and Brisbane will both wear the home jumpers at the MCG in Saturday's decider, but the Lions will don white shorts instead of the usual maroon.

The Magpies will wear their black and white stripes with black shorts - as they do at every home game. And the Lions will wear their predominantly maroon guernsey. But the AFL's decision to make Chris Fagan's side wear white shorts has been labelled 'stupid' and 'ridiculous' by fans on social media.

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Many have suggested the Magpies should be the ones made to wear white shorts given they also have white on their guernsey, while others have questioned the need for either team to wear white shorts. For those who believe in omens, the last team to win a grand final while wearing whits shorts was Richmond in 2017.

Collingwood lost to West Coast while wearing white shorts in 2018, and GWS went down to Richmond (who were wearing black shorts) in 2019. Geelong then lost to Richmond in 2020, before the Western Bulldogs went down to Melbourne in 2021. Last year neither side wore white shorts, with Geelong (wearing black) beating Sydney (in red).

Journalist Josh Barnes wrote on social media: "Of course, get the team with no white at all in its uniform to wear white shorts, while the team that has plenty of white goes black." The footyjumpers.com account pointed out that Collingwood get to request what they wear on grand final day because they finished higher on the ladder (first against second), with the AFL then mandating what the Lions wear.

Brisbane and Collingwood.
Brisbane and Collingwood wore the same uniforms in round 23. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

The two teams wore the same uniforms when they clashed in round 23 this season. Although the Lions wore their maroon shorts in an AFLW game against Collingwood last year and no-one seemed to have an issue.

Collingwood rocked by Taylor Adams blow for AFL grand final

After ruling out Dan McStay earlier this week, the Magpies revealed on Tuesday that Taylor Adams won't be fit for the grand final either. Adams missed the preliminary final win over GWS last Friday night due to a low-grade hamstring injury, but had been pushing his case to play in Collingwood's first grand final since 2018.

However he left the training track early on Tuesday and won't be ready for Saturday. "Unfortunate news for Taylor Adams, who experienced hamstring awareness during training today which will see him miss the grand final," Magpies football boss Graham Wright said.

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"Taylor is an ultimate professional and a true leader both on and off the field, and we will wrap our arms around him and continue to support him this week. Taylor was incredibly eager to be out there with his teammates and left no stone unturned in his rehabilitation and recovery, and we all share in his disappointment."

The Magpies will have to make at least one change ahead of Saturday's big dance, with key forward McStay ruled out because of a knee injury suffered against the Giants. Versatile tall Billy Frampton trained with the Magpies' forwards on Tuesday and could be brought in for McStay after last playing in round 24 against Essendon.

with AAP

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