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The evolution of Australian Football uniforms

Until organised competition began in the 1860s, players wore any form of clothing which identified them as team members. Proper uniforms were adopted during the 1870s.

At first, lace-up canvas guernseys, long trousers with socks and high leather boots were common. Gradually, the trousers became shorter and woollen guernseys complete with roll necks became fashionable. Later, some players wore sleeveless guernseys.

Boots were equipped with leather stops (studs) from the early days. During the late 1950s, plastic stops and soles were introduced. Soon after, some players began wearing low-cut style boots to allow extra speed.

From the early days the boots had hard toes, often strengthened with an inner metal cap, which made contact with other players dangerous. In the early 1970s soft-toed boots were introduced. These lighter boots made for even greater speed without detracting from kicking power.

About the same time, synthetic fabrics came into use for guernseys and shorts. Lace-up guernseys were again popular for a time in 1970s until they were banned because of the risk of finger injuries to opponents when tackling.

Take a look at the picture gallery in Images. You'll find examples of different uniforms. The black and white photographs show some of the older ones.