Footy fans have raged at the glaring kit clash between bitter rivals Carlton and Collingwood on Thursday night.
Some claimed that the game was ‘unwatchable’, one went as far as calling it ‘putrid’, while another was dismayed by the fact that the clash happens all too often between the sides.
Collingwood donned their classic ‘prison bar’ jumper as the home team, with Carlton electing to wear their classic navy blue home strip.
Carlton also opted to wear white shorts as part of their strip, but both sides donned dark navy socks, making it even harder for TV viewers to tell who was on the ground.
‘Jumper rating of ZERO out of 10 for #aflpiesblues. It is absolutely diabolical that this horrific and completely avoidable jumper clash happens every year! As the away team, Carlton MUST wear their white guernsey. When will this madness end!?’ One footy fan wrote on X on Thursday night.
‘Socks too. It’s putrid to watch. Players are handing over to opponents as a result,’ another wrote.
Footy fans have raged at the glaring kit clash between bitter rivals Carlton and Collingwood on Thursday night
The rival clubs squared off at the MCG for their hotly anticipated derby on Thursday night
‘This is unacceptable and unwatchable,’ one said.
Journalist Daniel Garb was also left bewildered at how the AFL had not intervened to make one of the sides wear a clash jersey.
‘How on earth isn’t a clash guernsey being worn?!’ Garb wrote on X.
He added: ‘Not great on TV. Reckon the players can’t tell each other apart half the time.’
Soccer reporter Vince Rugari added: ‘The guernsey clash here is insane. Absolutely ludicrous. Wouldn’t see this in any other competition on Earth.
‘No excuse for it. But they are both big Victorian clubs so it just happens, and nothing ever changes.’
Some fans lashed out at Carlton for not donning their white kit as the visiting side.
‘Carlton not wearing their white kit tonight is ridiculous. No point in having it if it isn’t worn against this Pies kit,’ one wrote on X.
Footy fans have lashed out at the ‘unacceptable and unwatchable’ kit clash on social media
Carlton took the lead at half-time following a cagey opening half-hour
‘Horrible visual product for the game. Why are Collingwood and Carlton exempt from wearing clash jumpers against each other? For the love of god can someone please outline the AFL’s clash jumper policy for me,’ one added.
Collingwood recruit Dan Houston is also now facing match-review scrutiny over a high bump after the Magpies turned up the blowtorch on Carlton with a 17-point win over their arch-rivals.
Nick Daicos and Steele Sidebottom led a dominant Magpies engine room as they took control during the third quarter of an 8.15 (63) to 6.10 (46) victory in front of 82,058 fans at the MCG on Thursday night.
But Houston, who served a five-match ban for last August’s brutal hit on Adelaide’s Izak Rankine, could be in more trouble for his high contact with Blues forward Lachie Fogarty.
The All-Australian defender left the ground and connected with a forearm to Fogarty’s head as the ball bounced over the players.
Fortunately for both of them, Fogarty was not seriously hurt and played out the match.
Houston (23 disposals) was one of the Pies’ best, showcasing his elite kicking skills in wet and windy conditions.
Sidebottom (24 disposals), Nick Daicos (27), his brother Josh Daicos (31) and Scott Pendlebury (30) were all busy for Collingwood and Lachie Schultz (18 touches, seven tackles) kicked two goals.
Collingwood recruit Dan Houston is also now facing match-review scrutiny over a high bump on Lachie Forgarty
Jordan De Goey also kicked two important majors from his seven disposals before he was subbed out at three-quarter time.
Collingwood (3-1) have now won six of their seven meetings with Carlton (0-4) since great mates Craig McRae and Michael Voss took over as coaches of their respective clubs.
In continuation of a worrying trend this season, the Blues led by four points at halftime but fell away badly after the main break, despite the efforts of Sam Walsh (31 disposals) and George Hewett (29).
Carlton conceded the first five goals of the second half and have been outscored after the main break in all four games this season.
Their tough night included Lachie Cowan being subbed out with a left hamstring injury.
The Blues kicked the first two goals of the match, lost Cowan midway through the opening term and took a three-point lead into quarter-time after Charlie Curnow kicked his only goal of the match.
A melee broke out on the siren when Nick Daicos and Walsh tangled off the ball, with most players involved in the brief scuffle.
Collingwood went goalless in the second term but had five scoring shots to one – 0.5 to 1.0 – in a sign of what was to come.
Nick Daicos (pictured right with his dad Peter) led a dominant Collingwood engine room to victory on Thursday
A four-point halftime deficit quickly vanished as the Magpies piled on 4.6 to 0.1 during the third quarter to take control and turned for home 25 points in front.
Carlton outscored their opponents in the final term – 2.4 to 1.2 – but never threatened to mount a serious comeback.
They managed just one goal during the middle two quarters and took just four marks inside-50 for the entire game.
Hewett and Ollie Hollands finished with two goals each for the Blues.
