The first footballers often wore cricket whites during matches with teams distinguished by wearing coloured ribbons and caps. By the 1870s, footballers started to wear more rugged and robust woollen navy jumpers called
Guernseys which traced their origins to the Channel Islands off the coast of France. It is from this garment that the modern football guernsey takes its name. By the 1880s, most footballers were wearing lace-up
jerkins made from canvas and leather. A guernsey could be worn underneath the jerkin to provide the player added warmth. By World War 1, the lace up jerkin was dispensed with by most VFL teams, although this form of clothing was used in other leagues such as the
SANFL until 2001. By the 1910s and 1920s, modern knitting and dying techniques had made it easier to produce woollen jumpers in varying patterns and colours. Collars were added to the jumpers and sleeveless options became popular amongst footballers. Although wool had been used as the main fabric of choice, most guernseys were changed to the much cheaper acrylic in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, collars were removed from football guernseys and manufacturers began making the clothing by using modern polyester fabrics using
sublimated dying techniques. During the 1970s, VFL teams began sewing the VFL logo and sponsor logos on their guernseys. Clash and preseason guernseys came into effect during the 1990s due to the growing demand by fans and broadcasters to make football easier to watch by making matches fully “light vs dark” rather than the simple dark shorts vs white shorts. In 2014, the AFL considered adding names to the guernseys, with
Kevin Sheedy claiming it would help fans recognise players, but after trialling the concept in Round 5 decided not to go through with it, despite fans' positive reactions, citing lack of space as a practical limitation. == Variations ==